The Trophies
by Bob Snicket
Summary: The Trophies interprets the unexplained story behind SSBM, but it is much more than that. An epic LOTR-style adventure which unites many beloved characters of the Nintendo Universe on a quest to defeat, and discover the truth behind, the evil Master Hand.
1. Chapter 1: Familiar Days

**Author's Notes:**

~This is a story I began to write in 6th grade, and therefore may seem rather disconnected and poor in quality at first. Okay, it's freaking awful. However, I went on to finish it as a sophomore in high school, and the quality of writing improves EXPONENTIALLY as it goes on (the chapter length increases as well). If I had the time, I'd probably rewrite the first nine chapters, but I don't. So here's my quality breakdown:

Ch. 1-4: atrocious

Ch. 5-9: slightly less horrible

Ch. 10 and on: definitely worth reading

So I promise those who endure through these first bits of laughable literature and just get the gist of what's going on, that your patience will be rewarded. Thank you.

~I have created supplementary art to help visualize what is going on. However, links don't appear to work well here for some reason, so I have put spaces in between the addresses to make them appear correctly. To view them, copy the address into the address bar and then remove all the spaces, or just type it in.

~The Trophies incorporates Nintendo characters both old and new, familiar and obscure. It takes place in a universe where, similarly to Brawl, many of the characters' worlds have been fused together onto a single land mass, while others are seperate planets.

This is a map of the mainland: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / N i n t e n d o M a p . j p g ? t = 1 2 8 0 6 9 8 0 4 4

**Map Key (continued)**

1. Master Hand's room

2. Fire Emblem Land

3. Delfino Island

4. Yoshi's Island

5. The Waffle Kingdom

6. Old Mushroom Kingdom I

7. Old Mushroom Kingdom II

8. Princess Peach's Castle

9. Fountain of Dreams

10. Green Greens

11. Chucklehuck Woods

12. Queen Bean's Castle

13. Kokiri Forest

14. Hyrule Castle

15. Luigi's Mansion

16. Mountain #32

17. Freezy Cavern

18. Jungle Japes

19. Shroom Bar

20. Pokemon Stadium

21. Saffron City (Pokefloats)

22. Fourside Colosseum

23. Final Destination

24. to Onett

25. to Venom

26. to Corneria

27. to Brinstar

28. Professor Frankly's House

29. Building w/ 2 doors to Resistance HQ and somewhere else

However, it is significant to note that the majority of this story was written long before Brawl became a reality, and that one, by paying close attention, may notice eerie similarities between that game and this story.

~Unfortunately, my knowledge of some series is minimal (such as Earthbound, Metroid, and Fire Emblem), and as such details concerning them will be very limited, though I did conduct some research on their backgrounds later in the story. So please bear with me if your favorite character does not have as prominent a role at first.

~Finally, The Trophies answers several questions throughout the gaming universe that the games have never managed to answer, such as...

Why do the heroes of the Nintendo World congregate to fight each other?

Who is Professor E. Gadd?

How did Bowser Jr. steal the Magic Paintbrush?

What is the significance of Trophies in the Nintendo World?

What happened to the Shadow Queen after Mario defeated her?

Which couples of Nintendo characters are perfect for each other?

Who, or what, is Master Hand really?

And Finally...

What does he want?

And now, without further delay, I present Chapter One.

The Trophies

h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / T h e T r o p h i e s T i t l e . j p g ? t = 1 2 8 0 6 9 7 8 7 7 (title)

_**Book 1: The Journey**_

**Chapter 1: Familiar Days**

_T__hump! Thump! Thump!_ Mario dodged Bowser as Bowser stomped toward him, nostrils steaming. Mario kept running around him until Bowser was facing the other direction. He grabbed Bowser's tail and started swinging it around. Faster, faster, until Bowser was only a blur. Mario let go and sent Bowser soaring towards a spiked bomb. Bullseye! The bomb exploded, and roaring, Bowser spun in the air and landed on the floating platform. Bowser groaned, disappeared, and gave up the key with Mario holding up two fingers and shouting the usual, "Let's-a-go!" Mario was just about to go eat Princess Peach's cake when he heard footsteps behind him. Before he could turn around or even adjust his red cap with the classic M on it, he was knocked out.

_..._

Link and Zelda were giving Falco and Marth a tour of Hyrule Castle. Falco and Marth looked around in awe as they explored the Temple of Time, the grand hallway, and the courtyard. Everyone saw the broken window with shards of glass scattered on the floor of the grand hallway. But before Link or Marth could draw their swords or Falco take out his laser gun, there was a sharp _thunk_ on each person's head, and they lost consciousness.

_..._

The Poke-Floats in the skies of Saffron City were seen everywhere. Pikachu, Ness, the Ice Climbers, and Princess Peach were admiring the inflated Pokemon floating in the air. Suddenly, people in the crowd were moving aside for a group of dashing figures rushing towards them. By the time the Ice Climbers reached for their hammers, or Peach for her frying pan and Ness for his yo-yo, the shapes were upon them. The only one who managed to merge into the crowd and blend in (somewhat) was Popo. Everyone else felt a painful bonk on their heads, but right before their consciousness left them, Peach got a glance of one of the figures. Her vision was too blurry to recognize details, but she thought it looked somewhat metallic…

_..._

Everyone woke up from their whacks in small, cramped, and dusty cells. Each room had a stone bench and an uninviting barred window.

Ness stared glumly at the stone wall in front of him. What had happened to their luxurious vacation in Saffron, and what about the pretty princess and the others who had been with them? Where were they, why were they here, and who had planned this dastardly plot? Questions streamed through Ness's psychic mind. He decided to go see what was outside. When he saw what was there, his mouth gaped open in surprise, his eyes wide.

Ness had expected to see some kind of barren wasteland, or at least a forbidden plain or something. But all he saw was a giant room. There was a desk the height of a skyscraper with a humongous reading lamp and a gigantic bed to his left and in front of him loomed a towering white door with a golden handle. To his right were a theatre-sized TV and some familiar Nintendo game systems on shelves. He looked down, and saw that whatever structure he was in stood on a giant table, cluttered with life-sized plastic trees and model houses.

"How am I going to get out of here?" Ness wondered out loud. "What will I do even if I get out, and what will happen to me if I don't?"

"Who's that?" a quivering voice asked from the other side of the wall in a strong Italian accent. "It's-a-me, Mario."

"Wow!" Ness exclaimed. "THE Mario? So you're stuck here too, huh? What's going on here?"

"No idea," Mario replied, "But I-a-know where we are. We're in the Master Hand's room."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**...**

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

Character Locations

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario, Link, Zelda, Falco, Marth, Pikachu, Ness, Nana, Princess Peach

**?:** Bowser, Popo


	2. Chapter 2: The Heroes and Villains?

**Chapter 2: The Heroes… and Villains?**

"Mail call!" Luigi drowsily got up from last night's party at Princess Peach's castle. _There can't be another party already,_ he thought. He slipped into his blue overalls and went outside.

"Thanks, Parakarry," Luigi said. He opened the mailbox and looked at the letter inside. He had expected to see the castle's crest as the seal of the envelope, but instead, there was a strange white glove sticker. "Mario!" Luigi called back into the house. "It's a letter from Master Hand!" He ran into his home and checked Mario's bed. "Mario?" Luigi checked everywhere: in the kitchen, in his secret diary room, and even in the trash can. _He must be done dealing with Bowser by now,_ Luigi pondered. _Something must have happened to him! I've got to go find him!_ Luigi looked at the envelope again and realized that it was addressed to him! He ripped it open and started reading the letter.

_To Mr. Luigi,_

_I have your brother Mario, and am holding him prisoner in my domain. If you ever want to see your sibling again, come to my room immediately._

_Master Hand_

_P.S. I also have Princess Peach._

Luigi gasped. He ran to get a couple close friends from nearby kingdoms: Kirby and Mr. Game and Watch.

_..._

Pichu and Jigglypuff were returning to their trainer when they heard him calling, "Pikachu! Pikachu, where are you?" They knew at once something was amiss, and they had to go after him. So, after being joined by the original green Yoshi that happened to be wandering nearby, they set off.

_..._

The younger version of Link had returned from the past to visit his future self (he did this by use of a reliable portal), but he found the castle where his older self should have been deserted. When he saw the broken window and Link's shield lying on the floor, his heart filled with worry (you would be worried too if something happened to your future self). He rushed to the world of Fire Emblem to find his friend from sword fighting school, Roy.

_..._

Fox McCloud was also worried when Falco did not return from Hyrule. "This is just like Falco," he said to himself. "He's always late. But why don't our communications work? Something must have gone even more wrong than usual." So he fetched his fellow space traveler, Samus Aran, and flew in his Arwing to Hyrule.

When they got there the castle was empty, save the younger Link and his buddy Roy. "We've got to go after them," Fox declared. Of course, everyone else easily agreed (Samus having no other tasks to occupy her, and being eager for an adventure), and they started their journey as a team.

_..._

Princess Zelda, Link, and Falco had been conversing about how they would escape. "I could blow up the walls with a few of my bombs, and we could look for a way out," Link suggested.

"No, Master Hand would definitely hear us." Falco said. "We'd be separated and have an even lower chance of escaping, you dumbo!"

Zelda sighed. Those two had been bickering about finding a way out ever since they got here. Things seemed just about hopeless, but when she was about ready to tell them to stop arguing, she heard footsteps coming from outside her cell.

_..._

Ganondorf and Captain Falcon were arm wrestling in the Shroom Bar, a gathering place for tough people or creatures everywhere. "Ugh," Captain Falcon groaned as Ganondorf overpowered him with his superior strength.

Bowser was laughing as he wrestled Donkey Kong, A.K.A. DK. "Gwa ha haa! You foolish ape! You'll never defeat the mighty King Bowser!" However, Bowser was still shaken from his ordeal with Mario, and therefore was not up to his full strength. DK gave a monkey grunt and slammed Bowser's claw onto the table, smiling with a triumphant grin.

Suddenly the bar manager called out, "I've got a message for a Mr. Falcon, Mr. Ganondorf, King Bowser, and Donkey Kong." The four trudged up to the counter.

"Well, what is it?" Captain Falcon asked impatiently. He folded his arms and tapped his foot on the ground.

"It seems," the bar manager informed, "that Mario and Link have been captured by Master Hand and have been taken to a place called Master Hand's Fortress. I don't know why the person who told me this wanted you two, DK and Falcon, to know about this, but I guess he thought you would be interested."

"Are you kidding?" DK exclaimed. "Mario is an old enemy of mine. I would love to go over there and taunt his face. Thanks, whoever-you-are."

"As for me," Captain Falcon pronounced, "Link is always a real pain in VS Mode."

So those four tough characters decided to go to the Fortress where they would get even with their enemies.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**...**

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

Character Locations

**Mushroom Kingdom:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch

**Hyrule:** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus

**Kongo Jungle (Shroom Bar): **Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Bowser

**Kanto Region:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario, Link, Zelda, Falco, Marth, Pikachu, Ness, Nana, Princess Peach

**?:** Popo


	3. Chapter 3: The Escape

**Chapter 3: ****The Escape**

**T**he door of the cell opened. Zelda heard her harsh breathing and the fast-paced pounding of her heart. The door completely opened, revealing two strange purple-flashing wire frames. One was male and the other female. Without speaking a word, they grabbed Zelda from under each of her arms and pushed her out.

Zelda saw a vast corridor, lined with white-gloved hands lifelessly holding torches. She saw that the others had also been forced out of their cells, and all were being shoved towards two creepy-looking doors at the end of the hallway. Zelda instinctively knew that she couldn't let the wire frames take them into the room beyond.

She concentrated her magic and closed her eyes. In a few seconds she had transformed herself into her alternate identity, Sheik. She forced her arms from the wire frames' grasp, and in a matter of seconds had punched, kicked, and pulverized them until they were groaning on the ground.

The others, except Pikachu, Peach, and Ness, had also escaped from the wire frames' clutches. They helped those who were incapable of defeating the wire frames, and stood together as a group.

Suddenly, the doors at the end of the hallway burst open, and Crazy Hand, Master Hand's cruel left hand brother, floated into the hallway, followed by 20 metal figures resembling 20 of the playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and many more fighting wire frames.

"Get them!" Crazy Hand screamed. Everyone started running, the prisoners away from their captors and toward the stained-glass window at the other end of the hallway with a large white glove design on it, and everything else after them.

Nana reached the window first, and smashed it with her hammer. She threw a rope over the edge, and froze the end to the ground with a Freezy. "Climb down!" she shouted.

Nana, Zelda, Falco, and Link started climbing down, after Link had shot an arrow at a wire frame. But everyone else fell behind and was engulfed by the massive army of evil.

When the four reached the ground, they ran towards a cavern-sized mouse hole to hide in, Crazy Hand cursing behind them.

_..._

"Hey, Lu-i-gi, I think we are al-most in Mush-room King-dom 2." Mr. Game and Watch, the poorly animated flat black shape, had been leading Luigi and Kirby to his new home. "I think I can see the wat-er-fall a-head." Mr. Game and Watch had left Flatzone, his old home, hoping to start a better and more dimensional life. However, almost everywhere else was 3-D, which was too much for him. So he decided to come to the older Mushroom Kingdoms, where he spent most of his time cooking bacon and sausages. His actual living quarters was in Mushroom Kingdom 2, but he visited the other one frequently.

"Let's-e-go, then!" Luigi cheered. He had also visited the older kingdoms, but it had been a long time. They were to stock up on food and supplies at Mr. Game and Watch's house, then continue.

"Then north!" Kirby said in his rather high-pitched voice. Kirby, like Mr. Game and Watch and most Pokemon, wasn't very fluent in the English language. And indeed, after they were all packed they would head north to the Bean-Bean Kingdom, through the Spooky Forest, and on to the Kanto Region. In this way they wouldn't need to go through the Icicle Mountains, the coldest and deadliest mountains in the entire Nintendo world (with the possible exception of Death Mountain in Hyrule).

As the three neighbors walked towards the waterfall, tiny Goombas scuttled along the ground, and Fire Flowers danced in the sunlight. The sky was clear with not a single cloud. That is, except for in the southern distance, where the clouds of Mario's Rainbow Ride dwelled.

At last, they reached the homely house of Mr. Game and Watch. But then, the black-outlined 2-story house began to shake and tremble. Kirby looked out the window and shouted, "Birdo!"

_..._

"This way," DK grunted, as they made their way through the dense jungle.

"Why do we have to go to Jungle Japes just so you can restock bananas?" Bowser complained.

"Because if we don't, I'll tell everyone I beat you in arm wrestling!" DK secretly planned to brag about his victory anyway. "By the way, hurry up, you slowpokes!" He was swinging on vines from tree to tree while the others were stepping carefully over roots and rocks and ducking under low-hanging branches. They traveled in this manner for quite some time, every once in a while DK waiting for them to catch up.

Finally, after several hours of tripping and swinging, they came to a large tree house. They all climbed a rope ladder to the wooden platform at the top (Bowser had lots of trouble not breaking the rope or falling off). When they were at the top, DK led them into a cabin where an old monkey named Cranky sat rocking slowly in his rocking chair. DK greeted his old acquaintance, grabbed several dozen golden bananas from the storage room, and they set off once again, this time to the narrow place where the Icicle Mountains did not disturb their path. But behind them four other monkeys wondered why DK always had all the fun, and decided to follow them.

_..._

"Hey, I think I see something!" Young Link stared ahead, his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the forest. They were in the Spooky Forest, on the way to Roy's home. Together they had traveled through the plain of Hyrule, through Young Link's old home, Kokiri Forest, and now they were moving through gloomy woods, in which it always seemed to be night, and the malicious face of the Moon always cruelly smiled at them in the east through the bare branches of the creepy trees they were walking by.

Young Link had seen a mansion of some kind deep into the forest on their right. "Let's check it out!" Roy said eagerly. "I love haunted houses!"

So they decided to leave the path that they should have stayed on and started walking towards the mansion that held more dangers and secrets than they could possibly imagine.

_..._

"Pichu-pi!" Like most Pokemon, Pichu and Jigglypuff didn't exactly speak so other species could understand them. All Pokemon understood each other, and Yoshi, as a dinosaur of sorts who knew Pokemon language as well as English, also knew what Pichu was saying. By "Pichu-pi!" Pichu meant something along the lines of, "I hope the Ice Climbers know where Pikachu is!" They were heading towards Freezy Cavern, the place where Popo and Nana usually lived. Since they had no idea where their friends were, they hoped somebody in one of the nearby kingdoms might know.

Because Jigglypuff wasn't very fast, they were traveling in a Poke Float with a Squirtle-shaped balloon. Finally, after searching for some time from the floating basket, they spotted the first of the Icicle Mountains in the distance.

_..._

Peach, Mario, Marth, Pikachu, and Ness were all being pushed and shoved through the two doom-foreshadowing doors. The room inside was enormous, with pillars in every dark corner, and more handheld burning torches. Everyone except Pikachu was held back from advancing further. Pikachu was forced into an electro-proof clear container, and set onto a metal platform with an intimating device right above it. There was a chain strapped to the container, and then there was a white flash that momentarily blinded everyone. As white as Master Hand's glove.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**...**

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

Character Locations

**Mushroom Kingdom II (Mr. G & W's House):** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch

**Spooky Forest (spooky mansion):** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus

**Kongo Jungle: **Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Bowser

**Kanto Region:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario, Marth, Pikachu, Ness, Princess Peach

**On the Run:** Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana

**?:** Popo


	4. Chapter 4: The Deception Game

**Chapter 4: ****The Deception Game**

**T**he flash subsided. Pikachu was still there, and was out of the electro-proof container, but was frozen in place, looking as jolly as if nothing was wrong. It was on all fours, as still as a statue, and was on a circular platform bearing the Super Smash Bros. Melee symbol.

The doors behind them burst open, and the one and only Master Hand levitated into the room, his giant knuckles almost touching the ceiling. "Ah, the first one has been transformed. Excellent! Mwa he ha haaa!" Master Hand floated over and grabbed the petrified figure of Pikachu, which now resembled the trophies earned in the game. "I'll see the rest of you soon, when you have met the same fate as our little friend here! Mwa he ha haaa!" Master Hand left back through the doors with the pitiful Pikachu trophy in his clutches, leaving the others with horrified expressions on their faces, contemplating the full meaning of what had just happened.

…

Mr. Game and Watch's house shook and trembled as Birdo's barrage of eggs contacted it. "Don't worry!" Kirby puffed out of a window to face the strange creature with a round-shaped mouth. As Mr. Game and Watch and Luigi watched him from the window, Kirby sucked up one of the flying eggs. The puffball transformed into the brand new Chicken Kirby. He looked somewhat similar to Falco Kirby with the beak, but his stubby little arms became wings with white feathers. Kirby lifted up into the air, this time using his chicken wings (a major flaw because chickens can't fly). The feathery white mass started spitting eggs out of his mouth back at Birdo. Birdo looked up at Chicken Kirby and quickly dodged the incoming eggs. She shot a glowing egg straight towards the flying chicken puffball.

Kirby waited for the right moment and hit the egg back with a feathered wing. The egg was glowing a little more now. Birdo responded by hitting the egg right back at Kirby with a swing of her pink tail. Luigi and Mr. Game and Watch moved their heads in unison as the egg flew back and forth, faster and faster, glowing brighter and brighter, until the egg's brightness was so strong that they couldn't see. Suddenly there was a thundering _BOOM!_ The light subsided, revealing Kirby back to his normal form and Birdo lying face-down on the ground with a dazed look on her face. Kirby did his victory dance, accompanied by music coming from nowhere.

The next event that is worth writing about was in the Chucklehuck Woods of the Bean-Bean Kingdom.

Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, and Luigi were walking through the strange trees of the Chucklehuck Woods. Then they heard the tree above them shake. They all looked up, one with fright, one with curiosity, and one with glee and excitement.

"Prince Peasley!" Luigi shouted joyfully. "It's a-been so a-long!" A green-bodied figure with fine blond hair emerged from the tree, riding a cloud.

"It's good to see you, old friend. I am interested to know what you are doing in our delightful kingdom."

"Well, we are on our way around the Icicle Mountains to Master Hand's a-room. Do you by a-chance know the way out of these a-woods? We are a bit a-lost, and we could a-use some help."

"Yes, yes, of course, follow me." Prince Peasley stopped and turned around. "I'm on my way back to Queen Bean's castle. You may come visit if you like. This way!" He sped off on his cloud into the distance, and Luigi, Kirby, and Mr. Game and Watch followed him to the edge of the woods.

…

Freezy Cavern was trashed. All of the Ice Climbers' ice furniture was cracked and shattered on the cold floor. Icicles had fallen and made marks on the ground. The place was deserted.

"No!" Yoshi yelled (in a language the Pokemon could understand, of course). "We came all the way here and found nothing! The Ice Climbers have been captured like the others! This can't have happened! Now how are we going to find Mario?"

Suddenly Pichu heard a sound. It sounded like a weeping, mourning sound. But then came a scream that everyone heard. They all clambered toward the ice cliff where the sound came from, Jigglypuff riding on Yoshi's back, and he flutter-jumped to the top. Jigglypuff simply puffed up the cliff.

The metal Donkey Kong was carrying Popo towards a robotic cage aircraft. Pichu charged up a Skull Bash, Yoshi turned into an egg and started rolling, and Jigglypuff started rolling as well. They all launched themselves at once and sent metal DK flying off the Cliffside, dropping Popo first. Popo breathed heavily as the ape plummeted to the bottom of the cliff. Pichu shocked the robotic aircraft, but all it did was vanish in a whirl of purple smoke.

"Thanks!" Popo said breathlessly. "You saved my life! Now we need to get to Master Hand's room at once. My partner and the entire Nintendo world are in danger."

…

"Zelda, where are you?" Link and the others were searching the Battlefields, for Zelda had mysteriously disappeared in the purple flashing world. The battlefields were a range of hills and valleys that had an unknown origin, and nobody knew where the land got its name.

"Hey, I see something!" Falco called. Falco ran to where he saw a figure move. "It's Zelda!" Everyone ran over to where Falco had found her.

"Where have you been?" But it wasn't the Zelda in front of them who spoke. Nana looked behind her and gasped as she saw Zelda walking daintily up to them, whisking her hair out of her face. "I was doing my hair," she said haughtily. "Now let's leave this imposter behind us!"

The other Zelda stepped forward in fury. "No, you idiots, I'm the real Zelda! Link, smack this faker, and let's get out of this wasteland!"

Then another Zelda appeared. "All is lost! Let's get out of here and accept our fate. We are all doomed!"

Yet another Zelda appeared, but this one was metal. "Nice try, punk!" Falco shot the poor imitator, and the metal one melted into a heap of iron.

Still another one appeared. "Link, you know me," she said humbly. "Now hit these others with your boomerang, and let's get out of here." Link didn't hesitate. He threw his boomerang and struck the haughty one, the angry on, and the pessimist. Two of them turned into Ditto Pokemon and slid away. The other one transformed into a paper ghost form, and slunk away, cursing.

"Bad acting," Nana muttered, shaking her head. But nobody noticed the wicked smile on Zelda's face.

…

"We're nearing Foursi…" Captain Falcon disappeared as he was shoved into a beam of light.

"Falcon! Where did you go?" The other three stared in wonder at the beam of light as they were also pushed in by four mischievous giggling monkeys who followed them in.

…

The four of the Triforce Team were walking up the stairs of the mansion. So far, they had explored the bottom floor, and had found a lot of mysterious things. For instance, in your typical mansion you usually didn't find a box that transforms anything in it into tiny pixilated forms, or a chandelier that for some reason kept falling down, nearly crushing Roy once. The mansion seemed completely deserted, without a single sign of being inhabited for many years. But what was really suspicious was how the kitchen tools kept shaking and flying at you, and how Samus saw a golden mouse zooming down the hallway, only to disappear into the wall. Rest assured that even if they had spent weeks exploring the mansion, they still would not have discovered all of its secrets. But as they ascended the stairs, something happened that confirmed a hostile environment and the reason why nobody claimed such a huge and luxurious deserted mansion. White, translucent figures started materializing all around them, cackling and staring at them with their tiny black eyes. Although no one there knew it, these creatures are known as Boos, and are extremely tricky, mischievous, and in this case, malicious. Despite vain attempts to drive them away, the Boos formed a sphere around the four of them, and they were levitated outside to the top of the mansion, where King Boo awaited their dreading souls.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

…

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

Character Locations

**Chucklehuck Woods:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley

**Spooky Forest (Luigi's mansion): **Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus

**Icicle Mountains:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario, Marth, Ness, Princess Peach

**Battlefields:** Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana

**?:** Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Bowser, 4 monkeys

**Trophy:** Pikachu


	5. Chapter 5: Opposition

**Chapter 5: ****Opposition**

Something wasn't right. Goombella and Goombario could feel it. The two of them were partners in research and exploration. As everyone knows, Goombas are walking, talking mushrooms. But few are aware that some Goombas, like Goombario and Goombella, can sense when something terrible is about to happen. It is now an extremely rare gift, because only Goombas with honest hearts can have it, and nowadays most of them serve Bowser.

Goombario felt it first. You know that theory about girls being more trustworthy than boys. Well, it's the opposite with Goombas. But they both felt that people were in danger somewhere in the North.

"Goombella, can you feel that?"

"Feel what? Wait… yes, I think I do."

"Well, we're right on the north-western outskirts of Fourside City, so I think we should go help whoever it is."

Goombella left for a moment to ask her instructor, Professor Frankly, about this.

"He says we should leave immediately." So they first visited the lab of Professor E. Gadd to use the Eleportationizer 1.0 to travel to the endangered as particles in the air. The world whizzed by as the fungi felt someone's body heat in the Battlefields and zoomed towards it.

_Poof._ Two Goombas appeared literally out of thin air in front of the startled group.

"Who are you?" Link unsheathed his sword. They all stared at the mushroom duo.

"Stop!" Goombario pleaded. "We're just here to help. You're all in danger."

"Link, these two are lying." Zelda spoke softly. "They're probably spies sent by Master Hand. Shoot them with fire arrows and let's move on."

Suddenly, three swirling circles materialized on the purple ground, and the three Shadow Sirens rose up from them.

"Now wait just a minute!" Vivian said, who was now much more respected by her sisters now that Beldam and Marilyn had been beaten countless times by Mario, and the Shadow Queen had been destroyed, afterwards allowing them to see the error of their ways. "I don't know about this other Goomba, but Goombella was a good partner of mine on our adventure to the Thousand-Year Door."

Zelda was starting to look a bit nervous. "But, um, Link, they were villains in that story, so, uh, destroy them with one of your missiles."

Link looked confused. "I don't have missiles."

"Well, then, um, use your flamethrower."

"When did I get a flamethrower?"

"Annihilate them with your ray gun."

"I don't recall acquiring that weapon either."

"Kill them with―"

"Enough is enough!" Goombario yelled impatiently. "I demand to know who this phony Zelda is. The real one would know what weapons Link has." The others murmured in agreement, and Zelda was getting angry.

"If you knew what you were dealing with, you would stop this!" Purple darkness was flaring around her, and her eyes were red. "I am the Shadow Queen, and I will rule alongside the mighty Master Hand when he controls all! Tell your pathetic friends for all I care, and I look forward to the time when I will have permission to destroy you all." She stared at each one of them, as if inspecting cereal boxes at a grocery store. "But for now, Master Hand has commanded me to take only one of you for his own purposes."

Purple shadow hands reached out of the ground and grabbed Goombella. "Nooo!" The hand sank into the ground, and the shadows left Zelda's body to collapse to the ground.

"Goombella! Nooo!" Goombario sobbed.

"How could that fiend possibly have returned?" Nana whispered. "I thought Mario had destroyed her for good."

As it turned out, Nana was correct.

…

If you are familiar with the town around Beanbean Castle, you will know that it's a very happening place. Indeed, almost every time you visit it there are either new items for sale or a new bean drink. You will also know that Beanbean Castle has been attacked a couple times. This was the case when Luigi and his friends entered the Castle town.

This time, a pair of corrupted Hammer Bros. was trying to tyrannically force entrance into the castle with a heavy siege of Banzai Bills and Bullet Bills. They were advancing in a vehicle closely resembling the mole tanks featured in Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros, firing multiple Bills at once, except with a large emblem of two crossed hammers on the front.

Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, and Prince Peasley zoomed right into action. Mr. Game and Watch used his parachute to help people at the top of the bombarded castle to escape. Kirby swallowed one of the smaller Bullet Bills, became Missile Kirby, and started ramming the other Bullet and Banzai Bills. And Luigi and Peasley went for the hatch on the tank. Luigi started whacking it with his ultra hammer, and Peasley tried to pry it open with his sword.

It finally gave way, and the Hammer Bros. popped out of the hatch and started dueling each of them. Peasley simply sliced off the hammer's head, knocked off his opponent's helmet, and kept him at his mercy. Luigi was having a difficult time avoiding the hammer swings. Finally, he knocked the Hammer Brother over and crushed the hammer with his. While Peasley arrested them, Luigi went inside the tank and shut it down. Kirby finished off the remaining Bullet Bills, and Mr. Game and Watch had brought everyone else to safety.

Queen Bean thanked them and gave them medals for their help. "Once again, Luigi, you have proved to us that the Mushroom Kingdom will always be allies with us! To prove to you our friendship, we will send Prince Peasley to accompany you on your―"

But Queen Bean's sentence was interrupted suddenly when a purple shadow hand rose out of the ground. Beanbeans screamed as it grabbed Queen Bean.

The seven Star Spirits are always watching the Nintendo World. Although they can't under normal circumstances do much, every once in a while they may use their Star Powers to temporarily disarm an enemy _that isn't extremely powerful_ with the call of a wish.

So this was further proof that the Shadow Queen had not really returned, but the formidable force was yet to be identified. At that moment the sky cleared to reveal glittering stars, and down descended the seven awesome figures of the Star Spirits. They circled around the purple hand, creating a beam of energy that struck the hand, forcing it to release its grip on the rather plump queen, and sending the dark energy away for a time. But rest assured that it was not defeated for good. Luigi and friends assumed the enemy to be one of the Floormasters Link had told them about, and thought nothing of it, preferring to rejoice with everyone else after the heavenly miracle had occurred.

…

Portals are mysterious things, and will probably never be fully understood. Although you will go to the same planet each time, you can never tell where you will appear on it or if you will even be in the past, present, or future. Such is the risk of using portals as shortcuts.

In this instance, DK, Bowser, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky appeared in the past in starships. Chunky, DK, and Bowser were controlling the Great Fox, and everyone else each had an Arwing. Luckily everyone (with the exception of Lanky) had general vehicle-controlling skills and could easily manage steering. Lanky wasn't going to crash, but he didn't know any controls besides steering.

So while DK and the three other Kongs had an argument about sharing adventures and bananas, Lanky did loop-the-loops and fired bombs at passing structures.

Then all of the aircrafts went into autopilot, and they all went down a dark tunnel. It opened into a space with the evil Andross floating nearby. "Ha! You can't defeat me!"

Everyone panicked at first, but they quickly formulated a plan to destroy the evil scientist. Ganondorf and Diddy started firing at his left hand, and Tiny and Captain Falcon aimed for the right hand. The Great Fox concentrated on the eyes, and Lanky continued to mess around. _Boom! Boom! Boom!_ Andross's hands exploded and he was forced to close both of his eyes. But then he opened his giant mouth and started sucking everyone and everything in, spacecrafts and space rocks.

"Lanky, what are you doing?" DK bellowed. Lanky was spinning and flying straight at Andross' mouth. He fired a bomb, and Andross yelled, "Nooo!" as he swallowed the bomb and exploded into millions of tiny specks.

…

So as far as you know, at this point there were at least four conscious characters still prisoners at Master Hand's fortress. But as Mario was snoring in his cell and dreaming of grabbing a super mushroom and escaping, there were the sounds of struggling coming from the hallway and a high pitched scream. "Mario, help!"

Mario instantly leaped up and started banging on the door of his cell. Ness, next door, had been meditating so he could use PK Flash, and decided to use it to free Mario. _BOOM!_ The metal door fell inward with a heavy clang to reveal three Wire Frames, Metal Bowser, and Metal Peach. The real struggling Peach was being hauled toward the doors at the end of the hall by Metal Bowser.

"Mama Mia!" Mario rushed out, grabbed Metal Bowser's tail (who dropped Peach), swung it several times with increasing speed, and finally flung it at Ness's door. Meanwhile, Marth grabbed a Wire Frame through the bars and started punching it where the face should have been. Ness stepped over Metal Bowser's groaning form, and then started using his yo-yo to beat up the other two Wire Frames.

Mario ran straight at Metal Peach, who was now dragging Peach towards the doors. But then Metal Bowser came to and clawed Ness. He gave out a yell of pain and collapsed, along with the Wire Frame that was brutally terminated by Marth.

Bowser and the two other Wire Frames chased after Mario, who was looking back and tripped over the Wire Frame's remains. Then Peach tugged out of Metal Peach's grip, and started fighting it. Mario had no choice but to turn around and defend himself. Mario easily disposed of the two Wire Frames by doing a spinning attack, but then Metal Bowser threw him across the hall into the far wall. The stone wall cracked and crumbled to the ground, revealing a steep drop. Mario shakily stood up to face the threat looming before him. There was another scream from Peach as Metal Peach dragged her through the gloomy doors. Mario attempted to find a way past the giant foe, but there was no escape. Metal Bowser breathed a gushing stream of flames, and as Mario fell with flames around him, he witnessed a flash of white light before he lost consciousness.

…

Waluigi and Wario sprinted towards the dark alley ahead of them. There were lots of alleys in the Great Fourside City. But they had been running around the city performing tasks that their dark employer required of them.

"Hey, wait up!" Wario panted. He was very obese and couldn't keep up with Waluigi's long legs. Waluigi stopped for a couple seconds, and then together they entered the narrow alley.

"Is everything ready?" A figure emerged from the pitch blackness but it was still too difficult to make out any features. Wario and Waluigi nodded their heads vigorously.

"Excellent. Here is your reward. I will give you the remaining 2,000 coins when you have completed your assignments." The figure tossed a small bag of coins to them, and slipped away while they fought over it. _Finally,_ they thought,_ weeks of countless preparations are finally paying off!_ Or so they thought.

…

The balcony of the mansion had rows of pillars, and stone blocks of marble formed the surface of the vast perimeter. There was also a statue of a unicorn from which an icy aura swept through the group's clothing (or armor) and sent a chill down their spines.

The sphere of cackling white Boos faded away, and Fox, Young Link, Samus, and Roy landed on the ground. Suddenly they all started hearing a different, deeper, louder laughter, and King Boo appeared in the middle of the balcony.

"What, who freed King Boo from the painting?" Young Link and the others gazed in horror as the hoard of Boos appeared behind King Boo. Samus shot a missile, but it went straight through them all, instead exploding into a leafless tree in the distance. Had they checked Professor E. Gadd's old gallery, they would have discovered all of the previously captured ghosts to be missing from their paintings, including King Boo.

Everyone started running towards the door that led to the stairs. But the door was locked. Young Link used his grappling hook and hooked it onto a tree branch.

"Come on! Hurry!" Everyone held tightly onto the rope, and on three, they leaped off the treacherous balcony and swung to the branch. They swung back and forth until they stopped, then, one at a time, climbed up the rope and onto the tree. After a hard ten minutes of struggling to get down, the four acquaintances were on the ground, wondering which direction the trail was in.

…

The narrow section between the Icicle Mountains and the Kanto Region is commonly known to be the most perilous part of the Spooky woods. Strange rumors about a giant metal cat terrify gossipers.

Yoshi, Pichu, Popo, and Jigglypuff decided to take this risk in order to avoid remaining in the Icicle Mountains. _What could be worse than freezing to death in a blizzard?_ They thought, rationalizing what they were doing. It would not be long before they found out.

"YOWshi!" An apple had just fallen off a tree and slammed against Yoshi's head. But wait a second. What kind of apples grow on such barren and lifeless trees as the ones of the Spooky Woods? They were just realizing the strangeness of what had occurred when a rock flew right out of the dark depths of the woods and nailed Yoshi in the noggin for a second time.

"Pichu Pi!" Pichu said, which meant something along the lines of, "I'm getting totally freaked out!"

Suddenly a levitating figure emerged from the darkness and blocked the path in front of them. It was the metal copy of the mythical feline Pokemon Mewtwo who had once upon a time been an experiment project of human scientists in a far-off land. Mewtwo was a master of using psychic energy to control everything and everyone around it.

Mewtwo used its mind to make them all rise up into the air, unable to move. Incapable of physically defending herself at the moment, Jigglypuff did the only thing she could do that would force metal Mewtwo to release them. She sang.

Metal Mewtwo didn't see that one coming, as most of the time he had no trouble teleporting his catch to Master Hand's fortress to be transformed into trophies, and focusing on communicating mentally his usual taunting lecture didn't help the metal cat either. Before you could say "lullaby," the practically uncontrollable Pokemon fell asleep, releasing his grip on the frightened characters. Several hours later, it would wake to rage over its first failure to accomplish Master Hand's requests.

**END OF BOOK 1**

…

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Beanbean Castle:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley

**Spooky Forest:** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus

**South Spooky Forest:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Marth, Ness

**Outside Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario

**Battlefields: **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens

**Venom:** Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Chunky Kong, Bowser

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach

**?:** Goombella


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

_Book 2: The Great __Fourside City_

**Chapter 6: Reunion**

Fox, Samus, Roy, and Young Link were searching desperately for the trail when they heard someone crying. They all followed the sound to the backside of an old barren oak tree, in which there was a gaping hole that was just large enough for the small weeping figure huddled inside.

It was none other than Toad, Peach's loyal servant.

"What's wrong?" asked Fox, pretending to be concerned. Toad looked up.

"Who are you? I hope you didn't go near that scary mansion that Mario got lost in last year. Anyway, Toadette and I were exploring when a purple hand appeared out of the ground and took her! I've been here ever since, wondering what to do. Can you help me?"

"On one condition," said Fox, "if you can get us out of this forest, we'll let you come with us. There have been disappearances from our lands as well, so maybe there is a connection."

Toad jumped up and down happily, saying, "Yippee! You've made my dark and stormy night! Now, about getting out of the Spooky Forest, I believe we need to travel a bit south, then go west."

So they followed the Toad's directions, unaware of what challenges lay ahead.

…

Mario woke up outside of Master Hand's stronghold. Luckily, he had not fallen off the table, but he was barely alive. All of his clothes and his lush mustache were scorched. He was hidden by the protective branches of the plastic forest.

Too weak to stand up, Mario lay there for many hours, maybe days. The model forest was completely silent, except for his own breathing.

Suddenly, out of the strangely actual-dirt ground popped a goggle-eyed mole that really needed to lose some weight.

"Are you okay?" the strange rodent asked. Mario groaned. "I'll take that as a no. Here, let me take you to my underground hideout. There we can nurse you back to full health. By the way, my name is Bottles, and I am a member of the Resistance, that is, I want to help defeat Master Hand."

What the mole was saying was interesting, but Mario dozed off anyway.

…

After a day and a half of tiring walking, the weary travelers finally exited the Spooky Forest. They were nearing the famous Pokefloats, which many regard as a fantastic place, full of huge inflated Pokemon and towering buildings. But as they neared Saffron City, there was not a single float in the air to be found.

Everyone wondered what had happened to the place. But when they got closer, it all became clear.

An army of Wire Frames were marching through the city, bordered by a couple of metal characters. The entire city was in peril, and the city hall was burning. The few Pokemon brave enough to rebel were knocked out.

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff cried, which meant something along the lines of, "We've got to do something about this!"

"We can't," Popo said sadly, "there's way too many of them. We should go around the city and continue before we are spotted."

The Pokemon were still waiting for a hopeful twist that would bend the plot of the story in their favor and make them happy. As it turned out, that's exactly what they received.

A smooth blue bomb bowled right into the middle of the Wire Frame army and detonated, large enough to wipe out the majority of the grouped enemies, but too small to damage any buildings.

Out of the smoke stepped Bomberman, a determined look on his mouthless face, and another bomb in one hand. The small remainder of the army fled (including Metal Luigi and Marth), and the city (most of it) was saved.

…

Luigi and friends had a right to feel satisfied after the deed they had done for Beanbean Castle Town. But everyone, especially Luigi, instead was overcome with worry and dread. Progress was agonizingly slow for them, and Luigi didn't know how much more of it he could stand without a hot bowl of mushroom soup. Of course, Queen Bean had equipped them with all the food and supplies they could carry, but frankly, he was burned out on beans. Luigi thought there must be some way to move faster before Master Hand did something terrible to Mario and the Princess. Perhaps he already had.

They were still walking through the Beanbean Kingdom, and no doubt there were others who had had similarly terrifying experiences, and were on their way to Master Hand's room as well. Kirby had the most experience with Master Hand, so they had to be the first to get there.

That's when Prince Peasley, from his cloud, saw an approaching figure in the sky.

"What's that?" Peasley exclaimed. Everyone looked up at the unidentified flying object, and Luigi, with plenty of time to visit other kingdoms due to a lack of adventures, was the first to recognize it.

"The Great Fox!" Luigi called out to the craft that was now flying right over them. Everyone else did the same, and eventually the Great Fox came to a landing in a nearby clearing.

The door slid open, and out came the familiar faces of Slippy Toad and Peppy Hare. Slippy stepped towards them. "I heard you guys needed to get somewhere faster?"

…

Everyone was devastated and temporarily stunned after the terrible event that had just occurred, especially Goombario. But now they were sure of what their mission was: to warn the world about the swiftly-growing threat of Master Hand and the Shadow Queen (so they thought), and to help put a stop to it.

At first glance the Battlefields don't appear as such a vast and threatening place. But most who are familiar with the Battlefields describe it as deceiving, dangerous, cursed, enchanted, bewitched, strange, monstrous, weird, purple, etc (not to mention seemingly endless, unpleasant, undesirable, flashing, legendary, fiendish, or occupied by unusual beings).

There was no doubt that they were lost. With no clue as to their whereabouts or in what direction they were traveling, they continued in what they guessed to be forward.

It looked as if no other living thing existed in the Battlefields, but only because its inhabitants have found so many clever ways to conceal themselves from the naked eye.

"Hey, I think I see something!" Falco exclaimed. They all gazed at the dazzling city lights in the distance.

"Yeah, but it's at the top of that large hill!" Nana pointed out.

"Who cares? We've finally reached the end of this seemingly endless Battlefield! Everyone, let's go!"

So everyone started sprinting and running towards the distant city. And for hours they went up the hill, but for some odd reason, the city never got any closer. Three more hours and they were wearily trudging up the hill.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Zelda said while catching her breath. "We must have missed a sign or something that warned us about this."

"Wait a second," Nana recalled, "I think I did see a sign of some kind." So they climbed the oddly short distance back down the hill, and saw the billboard posted a few feet away. Nana read its contents aloud:

**WARNING: ALL WHO WISH TO EXIT THE  
BATTLEFIELDS MUST RETRIEVE THIS KEY: (image of a large silver key)  
AND INSERT IT INTO THIS KEYHOLE: (keyhole here)**

"And then the paper attached to it reads, 'P.S. Look for it thoroughly, for it is hidden somewhere in the Battlefields. Good luck!'" Nana finished.

…

Everyone knows that monkeys, turtles, F-Zero racers, and evil lords don't have the slightest ability to read. This is why none of them paid attention to the sign reading, "Onett" above the arched portal on the planet Venom.

So they all flew through the arch/portal, and came out on the other side in the midst of a bright, sunny sky, zooming cars, and kids with psychic powers.

In fact, the only reason why they weren't hit by an incoming semi-truck was because DK saw a banana down the street right before it was flattened by rubber tires.

…

Tension was growing throughout the Great Fourside City. Noble or wicked, every resident or visitor had the distinct feeling that something was going to happen soon that would change the world for better or for worse (or possibly both?). As usual, the city gates and entrances were guarded, but that did not prevent worry from flowing rapidly throughout the enormous city. All anyone could do was sit and wait, but still, many were now loosely considering the possibility of relocating to the Mushroom Kingdom.

The Great Fourside City in the Nintendo World was only created from the images in Super Smash Bros. Melee, so there were many features and events in this city that did not occur in its original Earthbound city. In fact, this city wasn't even related, just carried the same name because the author felt a need to use this setting without knowing a thing about it. Among its most distinguishing features were Master Snifit's Grande Hotel, in which thousands of interesting and dull visitors stayed in every night, the famous Fourside Colosseum in which amazing sixty-four-participant tournaments were held each year and were highly anticipated by a large percentage of Fourside City's residents (which happened to be only a week or so away at this point in the story), and even a mysterious lobby with two constantly locked doors, one of which was rumored to lead to a different dimension, neither of which anyone has ever entered (as far as the common population knew).

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

…

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Great Fox:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare

**Spooky Forest:** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus, Toad

**Saffron City:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo, Bomberman

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Marth, Ness

**Outside Master Hand's Fortress:** Mario

**Battlefields: **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens

**Onett:** Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Chunky Kong, Bowser

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach

**?:** Goombella, Toadette


	7. Chapter 7: The Spy

**Chapter 7: The Spy**

That moment had to be THE only time ever to occur in the history of the Nintendo world that someone was actually grateful for DK's everlasting love of bananas. Had they remained there for more than three more seconds, they would have been pulverized by tons of weight that was transporting hundreds of thousands of fish sticks to the market.

"What the monkeys?" DK roared after they were safe on a rooftop. "In the name of overripe bananas, what is this place?"

Nobody, of course, had the slightest idea of how to answer him. For some time they just silently watched dozens of cars drive by, getting shocked and terrified looks in return. But who could blame them? It's quite a sight to see five monkeys wearing various articles of clothing, a giant evil turtle, and two strong men, one with a deadly sword and a golden triangle on his forearm, and the other in a disturbing blue suit and a red and yellow helmet, all of them just standing on the roof of Ness's house, as if there were nothing strange about the prospect at all.

After what seemed like an age, Diddy spotted yet another portal, disguised as a personal swimming pool. As they all jumped in, gleefully thinking that anywhere would be better than this wretchedly peaceful planet, not one of them had the simple common sense or reading skills to glance at the sign by the diving board which read, "Rainbow Ride".

…

Bottles led Mario down his hole, which soon turned into a steep tunnel, and eventually leveled out to be a low passageway. As Mario crawled behind him, Bottles explained exactly what the Resistance was. "Six years ago Master Hand began to create what is now known as Wire Frames. With the help of his evil left hand, Crazy Hand, he also started the project of creating metal clones of those he deemed worthy enough. Master Hand, of course, needed the DNA of all the characters he wanted to clone, and that's when he started the Super Smash Brothers Melee Tournaments."

"Every invited participant was required to submit a personal possession as the 'fee' for the tournament."

"With his new metal clones and his legions of Fighting Wire Frames, Master Hand finally decided that he was powerful enough to invade and conquer the Nintendo World."

"Mario, you may think that the world has been fairly peaceful for the last six years, but that's because you have no way to contact the islands and planets around the mainland."

"I was the one who snuck into Master Hand's fortress three years ago, and that's how I found out that Master Hand had taken over Brinstar, Onett, the Waffle Kingdom, Yoshi's Island, Corneria, Venom, and Delfino Island. I started the Resistance, and together, I'm glad to say, we have successfully liberated Onett, Venom, and Delfino Island."

"Unfortunately, Master Hand's army is growing ever stronger, and the Resistance is not much more than a nuisance to Master Hand. We cannot remain hidden much longer, and if we are discovered, the Resistance will be mercilessly wiped out."

"We are now counting on you, Mario, to gather your friends and help us to fend off Master Hand until we can gather a force sufficient enough to defeat Master Hand once and for all."

Bottles was apparently finished, and Mario followed him into the cavern headquarters that lay ahead.

…

Link and Falco especially were becoming very frustrated in their impatient and so far worthless search for a small key. If they did not find the key soon, Crazy Hand would eventually catch up with them and their escape attempt would have been for nothing.

They had been searching for hours and hours, and the situation was now desperate enough for them to have to split up.

Everyone, the Shadow Sirens, Goombario, Zelda, Link, Nana, and Falco, went in different directions, to meet back at the sign in two hours.

Everyone besides Vivian, Beldam, and Marilyn were taking a long time to search a small area. The Shadow Sirens could more easily distinguish things separate from the flashing purple landscape.

Vivian and her sisters got the strange feeling that the key they were searching for was just over that steep hill ahead of them. Instinctively, they cautiously ascended the hill and stared in a manner of utter amazement at what they saw beyond.

…

Unfortunately, while Toad's directions did indeed lead them out of the west side of the Spooky Forest, as it happened they leaped out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. Or, more specifically, out of the ghost-infested forest and into the insanely fast F-Zero racetrack.

"Well, guys," Toad said cautiously, "The good news is that we're almost out of the forest."

"What's the bad news, fungus?" Fox, who had taken to calling the poor Toad a nickname relating to the shape of his head, demanded.

"Well, we're about to enter the start of the F-Zero racetrack," Toad replied matter-of-factly.

"What?" Roy cried. "That's like leaping out of the frying pan and into the lava!"

"It's fire, you idiot!" Young Link snickered.

"So now what, mushroom?" Fox interrogated. "We're NOT going back into that forest. I say we leave the unoriented fungus in the forest and cut through to Fire Emblem Land."

"Wait!" Toad protested. "You guys mentioned you were searching for some missing people, and I've heard there have been mysterious disappearances all across the Nintendo World. And all traces have pointed to one place: Master Hand's room."

"Oh, great!" Fox threw his arms into the air. "So now we have to go all the way to the other side of the World!"

"B-but," Toad stuttered, "if we take the F-Zero course, we'll get there about 75 times faster."

No one could argue with that, so everyone ran to the starting line and each picked out their own awesome-looking racer.

…

As they rode upon the Great Fox, Luigi talked to Slippy and Peppy about past adventures and possible future challenges.

"Heck," Slippy said, "our next adventure won't be for a couple more years, so what better is there to do besides fight whatever menace you're facing here!"

"Well, actually, this time it's a bit more than the usual trouble, because first of all, if Master Hand turns everyone into trophies, there won't be a next adventure, and secondly, we've never been in an adventure with all the kingdoms, so we have no idea how this will all turn out."

As they chatted, they had already flown over the Beanbean Kingdom and the Spooky Forest, and were flying through the Kanto Region when Prince Peasley, who had been staring out the window while simultaneously listening to the conversation, spotted the remainder of Master Hand's depleted battalion. "Whoa! Hey, frog dude, you might want to take a look at the purple people beneath us!"

Slippy took one look out the window Peasley had been observing out of, and started yelling hysterically. "Go, Peppy, GO! There's a minor force of dangerous adversaries that have just spotted us and are preparing to attack!"

Peppy complied by pushing forward on the accelerator, and they zoomed away.

Once they were safely out of sight, Luigi asked, "Why didn't we just blast them?"

"Because," Peppy replied irritably, "they were about to fire a remote-controlled aerial Bob-omb-launcher cannon at us."

…

Even though half of them couldn't even communicate, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo, and Bomberman all had the knowledge that they had to try to stop Master Hand before further catastrophes could be attempted. Sure, by using the element of surprise to his advantage, Bomberman had been able to scare away a small battalion, but could any of them fend off an entire fully-armed legion?

As they traveled through the Kanto Region, as far as they knew, they were the only slightly formidable force left to face Master Hand, but their bravery and determination drove them onward, even though in their hearts they knew their chances of success were slim.

For days on end they traveled together, caring for each other and defending from very slightly threatening wild Pokemon. Even though out of the six parties they were the weakest of physical strength, they thrived in determination and good-hearted unity. Could these qualities prove useful in the end? Only time (at least for you, the time it takes for you to read this story) will tell.

…

_What is taking them so long?_ Master Hand wondered. He thought that surely someone would have reached Fourside City by now. Well, whoever came would be in for a big surprise, or perhaps surprises. Yes, he, the great Master Hand, had been biding his time since six years ago until the time was right for him to claim his supremacy and ultimate ownership over the Nintendo World. It was all a game, and so far Master Hand was quite enjoying it. _It's almost time to take this game to the final level,_ he thought triumphantly, staring at his wall-mounted map of the Nintendo World that had places crossed out, circled, and strategic arrows drawn everywhere. _Once they have all entered the tournament, then I will put an end to their foolish hopes…_

"Master Hand!" Crazy Hand shouted from the other side of Master Hand's lair's door.

"What, Lefty?" It was a dumb nickname, he knew.

"Our battalion at Saffron City has been attacked!" His counterpart left (no pun intended). _So,_ he thought, _they are willing to play dirty. Well, that's exactly what they'll get!_

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

…

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Great Fox:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare

**F-Zero Racetrack:** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus, Toad

**Kanto Region:** Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo, Bomberman

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Marth, Ness

**Resistance Tunnel:** Mario

**Battlefields: **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens

**Rainbow Ride:** Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Chunky Kong, Bowser

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach

**?:** Goombella, Toadette


	8. Chapter 8: The Ritual

**Chapter 8: The Ritual**

Everyone lined up at the starting line in their F-Zero Racers. Toad was too short to hold the steering wheel, so he shared a racer with Young Link. They were all thinking that in a matter of hours they would be at the giant doorstep of Master Hand's room. As their engines started whirring, they had no idea that Master Hand had decided to close off the second half of the track and create a detour to Fourside City for his own sinister purposes.

For a reason that not even I have managed to figure out, every time someone uses an F-Zero Racer for travel, it somehow always turns into a race. This was the case when they began zooming through the track.

At first Fox and Samus, being experienced with high-speed vehicles, were tied at the lead, followed by Roy, who was developing a lead on Young Link. He had no idea how to control an F-Zero Racer, and had to watch Roy to learn how to accelerate and steer. He was very conservative with his speed, and could not be expected to attempt to win.

Meanwhile, Fox and Samus were fighting fiercely for the lead, bumping into each other and using various weapons and items equipped for their racers. Fox used a spring-released punching glove from a side compartment of his racer to smack Samus's racer spinning, who then used a turbo-booster to stay in the competition.

As the race went on, Fox continued to keep Samus behind by dropping mini-Bob-ombs, piles of garbage, and other paraphernalia. Young Link was starting to get the hang of it, and was catching up to Roy.

Hours went by, but no one seemed to tire. Surprisingly, Young Link had now swiftly overtaken Roy and was gaining on Samus at an alarming speed.

Roy used a turbo-booster, and now they were all pretty even. Then, out of nowhere, Captain Falcon's craft zoomed up right next to them with an array of deadly, not disabling, weapons.

Link took out a giant Bob-omb.

"Where'd you get that?" Roy cried.

Link grinned. "I was saving it." And with that he chucked the bomb directly at Captain Falcon's ship, which happened to be driven by the one-and-only metal Captain Falcon. The watermelon-sized Bob-omb nailed the racer's hull, and the craft exploded into oblivion along with the metal clone.

…

After their recent encounter with one of Master Hand's battalions, Luigi and friends were more anxious than ever to foil Master Hand's attempted conquest.

Once again, Luigi was busy chatting with Slippy; Peppy was piloting, and Prince Peasley and Mr. Game and Watch were having a deep and heated argument over which era was better, the old one or the current one.

"You see, you low-graphic formation of black pixels," Peasley explained, "while the 1880's were the beginning of elementary video games, the controls were so basic, the gameplay so unaddictive, I don't see how such worlds are enjoyable at all."

"First of all," Mr. Game and Watch pronounced syllable by syllable, "it's the 1980's, not 1880's, you id-i-ot. Second, clas-sic games are most-ly much more chal-leng-ing and or-i-gin-al than your fan-cy pres-ent day games. All the new games are shoot-ers, R-P-G's, race-rs, or coll-ect-ing ad-vent-ures."

This went on and on nonstop, with neither hero willing to give in to the argument presented by the other.

Really the only one who wasn't involved in a particular activity was Kirby, who was now the one staring out the window. He watched as the landscape scrolled by, from grasslands to lakes to mountains to valleys. He had almost fallen asleep when he made out several tiny specks moving across a deep valley below them.

"Look!" Kirby cried out. And that was enough to get everyone's attention.

"Hey," Luigi said, "there are several a-moving specks down there, and I think one of them is a-Yoshi! Quick! Land the Great a-Fox right over there!"

Peppy complied and brought the Great Fox to a landing at the bottom of the valley.

…

"Hide!" Yoshi yelled. Yoshi, Pichu, Bomberman, Popo, and Jigglypuff ran or scuttled for cover behind some thick bushes as the large craft landed about one hundred yards away. The hatch opened, and out of it came a talking hare and toad, a wig-wearing bean with a sword, a sinister-looking pink puffball monster, and a strange retro-age alien. But then Yoshi saw the brother of his beloved master, and forgetting the strange creatures, rushed out from behind the bush to greet Luigi.

"Yoshi!" Luigi briefly embraced his old friend, and the others, following suit, cautiously approached from behind their hiding places to meet the new arrivals.

And so for the next half hour or so, they introduced themselves and shared concerns about Master Hand and missing characters. Then they all boarded the Great Fox and headed for the Great Fourside City in the near distance. Soon the pandemonium would truly begin.

…

Just as heroes were approaching Fourside City, so were enemies. Wario and Waluigi were staying in a small hotel room that was provided by their discreet employer, known only as the Shadow. After dozens of errands, they had quite a pile of money bags. Wario spent most of his time slumped on his bed watching TV, while Waluigi was busy thinking of new ways to insult the Mario Brothers, such as designing "I hate the Mario Brothers" T-shirt logos, sporting phrases like "Mario is a Moron" or "Luigi is a Loser." Both thought little of what might be the consequences of their past and future actions. And, of course, they were quite unaware of the heroes that happened to be entering the city at that very moment.

…

There was the key! The key that would allow them to finally escape the Battlefields and enter Fourside City! The only thing was that it was hanging on the spear of a nasty-looking Spear Guy. A whole tribe of them were dancing around a fire and singing. The one with the key, who appeared to be their chief, was leading them in some sort of bizarre ritual.

The Shadow Sirens hastily reported back to the rest of the party, and in a few minutes all of them were peering at the Spear Guys from behind the hill.

"How are we going to get that key?" Goombario whispered.

"The old fashioned way," Link replied, even though there were several dozens of them, each armed with deadly spears.

But suddenly, a few of the Spear Guys turned around, and before they could duck, yelled and hollered to the rest.

"Run!" Nana cried. The Spear Guys were forming a circle around them, spears pointed menacingly at them. All of the heroes sprinted for the small gap that was rapidly closing with Spear Guys. The Shadow Sirens disappeared into the ground, but by the time the rest reached the edge of the circle, the last Spear Guy had placed itself in their way. Even though masks hid their faces, anyone could tell that they were furious at the intruders for disrupting their ritual.

Link and Falco began fighting the Spear Guys, slashing and blasting them. Nana swung her hammer like a mad dwarf from The Lord of the Rings. Seeing how that particular strategy wasn't very successful, she then started freezing them for Link to slice or Falco to blast. Goombario did his best to bonk the living daylight out of as many Spear Guys as he could. Zelda (now transformed into Sheik) was pummeling and whipping several others.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Sirens had not, as you might have thought, fled from the valley. They had risen out of the ground in front of the chief Spear Guy and his guards, and were now involved in a fiery struggle for the key.

But some of the Spear Guys had still been chanting and dancing, and after they finally stopped, the remaining Shy Guys halted and grew silent. Everyone stopped fighting and stared at the rumbling ground about fifty yards away.

Out of the ground rose a giant, monstrous, lethal… _lamp_? Its destructive light disintegrated every last one of the Spear Guys in its rampage. Everyone else was hiding behind a small hill within the valley. There was no way they could snatch the key before its light destroyed them.

But Link, a common subject of ridiculous parody games, knew the solution. Hiding and ducking, he sneaked his way over to the lampshade's unnoticed power strip, unplugged it, and thereby stopped the monster.

Relieved, everyone traveled back to the sign, with Link triumphantly carrying the key.

With the key in the keyhole, they finally made their way up the hill and through the steel city gates (the guards happened to be fast asleep).

…

DK, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, Chunky, Bowser, Captain Falcon, and Ganondorf tumbled through the glowing pool/portal, only to find themselves lost in yet another bizarre and vast world.

This time they were on the deck of a flying ship with wings located thousands of feet in the air among thick white clouds, another bright sun and cheerful blue sky, and various floating platforms, pendulums, coins, houses, and several strange flying creatures.

Shocked and annoyed as they were, all of them were lucky to have the crew and strength to guide the ship. It traveled at a surprisingly high speed, exceeding the velocity of even the Great Fox. Strangely enough, the air pressure and heavy wind did not affect the crew at all.

After some debating and fighting, Ganondorf had the pleasure of steering the ship (Captain Falcon was one of the prime contenders to steer the ship. "After all," he reasoned, "Who better to captain such a magnificent flying ship as this but _Captain_ Falcon?"). In less than a day they could already see Fourside City, but were surprised when they passed the Great Fox unnoticed on their way.

…

The cavern was larger than Mario had expected, with about one eighth of a mile in length and one fourth of a mile wide. Most of it was filled with bright candles that illuminated every corner and round tables at which sat all kinds of characters from many different places. Some that Mario recognized were Banjo and Kazooie, Tingle, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Meta Knight, Pit, Daisy, Professor E. Gadd, Pacman, the Rito postman from Dragonroost Island, and Orca, a legendary swordsman from Outset Island. Everyone else was a member of some species such as Hylian, Goron, Zora, Sheikah, Toad, Yoshi, various other Mushroom Kingdom species, Beanbean, Pianta, Pokemon, or human.

For several minutes Mario just stood there, taking all of it in.

"Attention. Please, may I have your attention!" Bottles shouted. Everyone quieted down. "I'm here to announce that our very own Mr. Mario has escaped Master Hand, and will be here to help us defeat him!"

Everyone cheered. Then Bottles led Mario down one of the many tunnels to where he would be sleeping. But Mario, weary as he was, couldn't sleep with everything that was on his mind.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

…

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Great Fox:** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo, Bomberman

**F-Zero Racetrack:** Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus, Toad

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Marth, Ness,

Goombella, Toadette

**Resistance HQ:** Mario

**Fourside City: **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens

**Rainbow Ship:** Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Chunky Kong, Bowser

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach


	9. Chapter 9:1: The Promise of Reward

Author's Note: The {}'s indicate which part of the chapter, as they become too lengthy to include in one post.

**Chapter 9: The Tournament**

**{1} The Promise of Reward**

The morning that Bowser's group landed outside the entrance to Fourside City and met with Luigi's and Yoshi's groups was bright, beautiful, and calm. There was nothing to suggest that extraordinary things would be occurring that very day. But unusual sights could be found everywhere, not the least of which were the strange parties entering the city from the northern Battlefields, the eastern gates, and even the northern F-Zero drop-off point. If one searched carefully enough, one could even find a wooden ship with wings and the futuristic Great Fox parked discreetly in a low valley obscured by densely packed fir trees.

…

Even after all of my research on what happened that day, I still have yet to figure out what made Bowser's party of antagonists change their motives from vengeance to liberation of the captive Nintendo areas and characters. The only thing I can tell you is that they got along better than I thought possible, although it still wasn't what you would call friendship. It was more of a Star Fox-Star Wolf-type relationship; they were uniting to defeat a common enemy.

The eastern gates were really not very large. There were only like pretty big doors. On either side, as far as the eye could see, was a massive stone wall that was about one-half the height and thickness of the Great Wall of China.

As nineteen characters approached the gates, they saw that it was guarded by two helmeted and armored guards. One was short and fat, the other also short, but more agile-looking.

Luigi, although not the main star of the Mushroom Kingdom, had an extensive knowledge of every major Nintendo character in existence. In other words, sitting at home and caring for the Mario residence while Mario was away fight evil toads, turtles, monkeys, etc. is only what they want you to think he does. Remarkably, as soon as Luigi saw the blue fur coming out of the agile guard's helmet, Luigi immediately recognized the character.

"Sonic!" Luigi exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" The guard Luigi had been speaking to wordlessly removed his helmet to reveal his white furry face and grinning mouth.

"Oh, the usual, Luigi," Sonic spoke casually. "Looking for filthy Master Hand minions. The other guard here is Wario, trying to add something of a noble aspect to his reputation."

"Hi," Wario stammered nervously, uncomfortably removing his helmet to reveal his sweating forehead and his classic jagged mustache.

The others, shrugging, followed Luigi through the rather narrow gates, taking in the amazing sight before them.

Fourside City was a sight to behold. It was a place of perpetual night. Towering buildings covered with innumerable windows took up the bulk of the area. In between zoomed countless vehicles, pedestrians of every type and species, and narrow alleyways where shadowy figures lurked.

"Hey," one of the shadowy cloaked figures whispered urgently as they passed a particularly gloomy-looking alley. "Over here!" They curiously stopped and listened to him (presumably a "him" due to his deep masculine voice). "I've been here for a long time, so I know all the stories and facts about this place."

"So?" Bowser growled suspiciously. "Why should we trust you?"

"According to my sources," the figure continued as if Bowser hadn't spoken, "there is a colosseum in this city where they are going to hold an enormous single-elimination tournament. All the finalists, or the top eight out of sixty-four, will receive a prize of 1,000 coins. But the winner, they say, will be awarded a weapon so powerful that it can defeat even Master Hand!"

Most of them gasped, but Bowser folded his bulky arms and gave a snort of laughter. "Ha!" he snickered. "That's a bunch of crap! What kind of weapon could do that?"

"Who knows? It so happens that the tournament begins at noon, anyway, but they still have seventeen or so openings, and you look like a group of strong fighters (the figure's gaze appeared to avoid the Pokemon when he said this), so you should consider entering. I have, anyway." And with that, the hooded figure swept itself away into the darkness of the alley.

"Har, har, har!" Bowser laughed. "You don't believe any of that, do you, Luigi? _LUIGI!_" Luigi was lost in thought.

"But just think how much easier that would make our quest!" Luigi was imagining firing a missile launcher and blasting Master Hand away.

So everyone hurried to the massive colosseum entrance, and everyone, with the exceptions of Bowser, Slippy, Peppy, Tiny Kong, Pichu, and Jigglypuff, signed up for the battle tournament. As it happened, the "Triforce" group, upon arriving, had also heard of the tournament, and had also signed up (except for Toad).

…

"Come on! We're nearly there!" Bottles urged the small group along the underground passageway. "We'll come to the surface in a storage room, and then we can tell everyone we come across!"

The warning party consisted of Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Meta Knight, and the Rito Postman. They were taking a secret passageway out of Master Hand's room that led to a storage room in the bottom floor of a building in Fourside City. The door to the room was always locked, and Bottles had the only key. Once they got there, they would go to the colosseum, and during one of the intermissions, tell everyone what evil Master Hand was up to. Then they would gather an army of the willing and take the fight to the enemy. Meanwhile, the members back at the headquarters were attempting to free the prisoners and learn whatever they could about Master Hand's plan.

"There it is!" Bottles stopped at the end of the dark tunnel, seeing with the light of Professor E. Gadd's Lightatron 5000. He pushed up on the ceiling, and the trapdoor opened up. They climbed through the opening, left the storage room and the building (Bottles being careful to lock the door behind him), and started towards the Fourside Colosseum.

Along the way they met a group of escapees whom they had previously believed to still be locked up in Master Hand's fortress (namely Link, Zelda, Falco, Popo, Goombario, and the Shadow Sirens). Once they had become acquainted one with another, they hurried off towards the Colosseum, for the tournament was about to begin.

…

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Yoshi, Popo, Bomberman, Young Link, Roy, Fox, Samus, Toad, Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Chunky Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario

**Fourside City: (to Colosseum)** Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**Master Hand's Fortress:** Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach

Reviews are always appreciated. :)


	10. Chapter 9:2: Round One

(NOTE: I will list each match, the competitors, and describe the match. Some will be in more detail than others. For more details, see the tournament paper below)

Tournament Layout: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / t o u r n a m e n t l a y o u t . j p g

**Fourside Colosseum Tournament Match-up List**

**Rules: No killing, no additional weapons than the ones you can carry, no time limit, fight until one can no longer stand, and forfeiting is strongly discouraged.**

1. Kirby  
2. Koopa  
3. Donkey Kong  
4. Buzz  
5. Yoshi  
6. Yoshi  
7. The Crystal King  
8. The Goomba King  
9. Re-Dead  
10. Super Toad  
11. Birdo  
12. Mr. Game and Watch  
13. Dark Link  
14. Bomberman  
15. The Shadow Queen  
16. The Evil One  
17. Hammer Masta  
18. Blaziken  
19. Boolossus  
20. Captain Falcon  
21. Goomba  
22. Diddy Kong  
23. Lakitu  
24. Magikoopa  
25. Clubba  
26. Raichu  
27. Beaver  
28. Popo  
29. Fox  
30. Falco  
31. Charizard  
32. Mario Fan

33. Chunky Kong  
34. The Shadow  
35. Samus  
36. The Master  
37. Iron Knuckle  
38. Aipom  
39. King. K. Rool  
40. Ridley  
41. Pokemon Trainer  
42. Wolf O' Donnell  
43. Kremling  
44. King Dedede  
45. Shroob  
46. Luigi  
47. Lanky Kong  
48. Octorok  
49. Leon Powalski  
50. Andrew Oikonny  
51. Ness  
52. Megaman  
53. Ganondorf  
54. Likelike  
55. Roy  
56. Young Link  
57. Captain Bobbery  
58. Lady Bow  
59. Shy Guy  
60. Panther Caruso  
61. Metroid  
62. Sonic  
63. Prince Peasley  
64. Darknut

**Chapter 9: The Tournament**

**{2} Round One**

_**Before Round I**_

Everyone was gathered around the match sheet, shouting comments about the competitors and match-ups.

"I'm #46, against Shroob!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Oh, no! The Shadow Queen is on here!" Popo yelled.

"Roy, you're going down!" challenged Young Link.

"Ha! Aipom is gonna get creamed!" Fox laughed.

These comments went on and on, and I'm sure you would get very bored if I tried to list them all. Instead you would probably prefer that I actually tell what happened next. The first match of Round 1 was about to begin. The competitors did not watch, but waited in one of several lobbies. Unbelievably, all of the last-minute entrants, or the characters who had just entered the city from the eastern gates and the F-Zero drop-off point, were grouped together in the same lobby. On one side was the door that led into the arena. On the opposite wall behind them was a door that lead into a hallway which could sequentially lead outside, to other lobbies (which entry was forbidden to contestants), or the infirmary. If they lost, however, they would be permitted to join the stands. They listened as Wario, the commentator, welcomed everyone and hollered, "Let the first match begin!" Kirby, with a determined look, walked through the door into the stadium of screaming crowds.

"Match one!" Wario announced. "Kirby vs. Koopa!"

…

_**Round I**_

**Match#1: Kirby vs. Koopa**

Kirby glared across the flat clay field at his opponent, a Koopa with a bold red shell. Suddenly, the Koopa shrunk into its shell and shot straight towards him at break-neck speed. Kirby yawned lazily, then, just when the shell was about to slam into him, opened his mouth wide, sucked the shell in, and spat it back out straight into the wall of the field.

"Kirby wins!" Wario bellowed.

**Match#2: Donkey Kong vs. Buzz**

Donkey Kong's old bee enemy, Buzz, was easily felled with two shots of his Coconut Gun.

**Match#3: Yoshi vs. Yoshi**

Yoshi was astonished. His opponent was his own metal form! It started pelting him with metal eggs, which hurt, believe it or not. Yoshi went into an egg and rolled around, avoiding Metal Yoshi's attacks. But as he made to slam into Metal Yoshi, it ate him, spit him out straight into the air, and slammed Yoshi back down with its head, knocking him out. Another one for the infirmary.

**Match#4: The Crystal King vs. The Goomba King**

A royal clash. Unfortunately for the Goomba King, he didn't stand a chance against the Crystal King's swarm of ice crystals.

**Match#5: Re-Dead vs. Super Toad**

Who would have expected Super Toad to be so, well, _super?_ Luckily, Re-Deads are already dead and so technically can't be killed, so Super Toad didn't break any rules by slicing it in half with his beam sword.

**Match#6: Birdo vs. Mr. Game and Watch**

Birdo spewed eggs at Mr. Game and Watch, unconcerned that he was collecting them into an oil bucket. She regretted her disregard when they were flung back at her in oil form.

**Match#7: Dark Link vs. Bomberman**

It was a very close match. Dark Link was kept busy avoiding Bomberman's non-lethal bombs, but was victorious in the end when he knocked Bomberman down with his black boomerang and KO'd him with his strangely non-lethal sword.

**Match#8: The Shadow Queen vs. The Evil One**

It figures that Bowser Jr. would choose a name like The Evil One. Strangely, after the match in whom the one who was called The Shadow Queen only appeared in the form of a purple hand, Bowser Jr., or "The Evil One," was nowhere to be found. For some reason, disappearing didn't make the rule list. Bowser was furious after the match.

**Match#9: Hammer Masta vs. Blaziken**

It was actually quite entertaining to watch a Pokemon being smacked by a hammer. The Hammer Masta describes the victor perfectly.

**Match#10: Boolossus vs. Captain Falcon**

Apparently words can hurt. Captain Falcon insulted Boolossus so badly that it flew away crying. You would, too, if someone told you that you had a sheet for a mom and it was true.

**Match#11: Goomba vs. Diddy Kong**

One Jump…_squash_…"Diddy Kong wins!" What else can be said? Goombas suck!

**Match#12: Lakitu vs. Magikoopa**

They could both fly, but one had powerful magic spells; the other had live pointy rocks.

**Match#13: Clubba vs. Raichu**

While Raichu was the elder form of Pikachu, it just didn't have the speed and agility to overcome Clubba's earthquake stomps and hurled clubs. Also, electricity didn't do squat to Clubba's tough hide.

**Match#14: Beaver vs. Popo**

Same concept as Match #11. I mean, come on! Why did such a weak and vulnerable creature even enter the tournament?

**Match#15: Fox vs. Falco**

It was the best fight yet. Metal Falco was sturdy and powerful as well as fast, so most of the audience had given up hope on Fox. They zoomed around the field in a blur punching, jumping, and kicking each other. The crowd gasped when Metal Falco fired his deadly laser at Fox, but he reflexively reflected it and melted his opponent. The judges ruled it as legal since it was Metal Falco who shot the laser in the first place. Well done, Fox!

**Match#16: Charizard vs. Mario Fan**

The toad who called himself "Mario Fan" would have been better off staying home, where he wouldn't likely have been burnt to a crisp.

**Match#17: Chunky Kong vs. The Shadow**

There he was, the hooded cloaked figure that had advised them to enter the tournament. But that wasn't the first time he appeared in this story. Chunky Kong pounced and grabbed at the Shadow, but he was too quick for him. One time his hood nearly fell down, and Chunky saw spiky black hair before The Shadow hastily pulled it back up. Apparently done running, The Shadow stopped, pulled out a device that looked suspiciously like a gorilla tranquilizer, and put Chunky to sleep.

**Match#18: Samus vs. The Master**

It was a very tough battle. The Master was the legendary Toad from the original Paper Mario game. The battle lasted for a long time, and Samus, being sly and cautious, seemed to be winning. But then she got impatient and fired a fully-charged energy beam at The Master. Big mistake. The Master smiled triumphantly, and with a swing of his golden cape, reflected it unavoidably back at Samus. The crowd went wild.

**Match#19: Iron Knuckle vs. Aipom**

Monkey vs. fully armed and armored bulky knight: obvious. The poor Pokemon never stood a chance.

**Match#20: King K. Rool vs. Ridley**

Not-so-obvious. Ridley in his mocking laughter had no idea that the crocodile monarch always kept a stash of exploding oranges handy.

**Match#21: Wolf O' Donnell vs. Pokemon Trainer**

Now this was an interesting battle. Ironically, the trainer's two Pokemon were both wolf/dog-like: Mightyena and Houndoom. Wolf, who was no physical match for both a vicious hyena and a fire-breathing hound, avoided the two beasts. Eventually he found a way around the Pokemon and knocked out the trainer with one swipe. This just wasn't a good day for Pokemon.

**Match#22: Kremling vs. King Dedede**

Hammer-wielding characters, on the other hand, seemed to be having great success so far. As elementary enemies as Kremlings are, they can pack a ferocious bite. So Dedede pounded the living daylight out of him so as not to take any chances. It's questionable whether Dedede will be as lucky in his opponent selection in the next round, however.

**Match#23: Shroob vs. Luigi**

Since Luigi had previous experience with the purple mushrooms, he had no trouble pouncing on the doomed Shroob…with the use of a Copy Flower to make it more fun.

**Match#24: Lanky Kong vs. Octorok**

Lanky used his acrobatic skills to jump, handstand, and flip away from the Octorok's pellet thingies. Then he used his extremely long and lanky arms to punch the octopus-like creature right between the eyes.

**Match#25: Leon Powalski vs. Andrew Oikonny**

Will Oikonny ever give up? Andrew was so pathetic that all Leon had to do was move aside when Oikonny was charging at him, and he smacked into the wall and collapsed. Amateur.

**Match#26: Ness vs. Megaman**

As high-tech and complex as Megaman was, he was no match for Metal Ness's powerful psychic attacks.

**Match#27: Ganondorf vs. Like-like**

Apparently, Like-likes don't know how to play tennis with a glowing, writhing ball of magical energy.

**Match#28: Roy vs. Young Link**

Ever since the F-Zero race, a burning rivalry was growing between these two swordsmen. The match took even longer than the one between Samus and The Master, and after about twenty minutes of ceaseless sword fighting, the crowd started to boo and yell, "Hurry up!" What finally ended the battle was when Young Link got smart and shot Roy in the head with his slingshot.

**Match#29: Captain Bobbery vs. Lady Bow**

The match was over before it started because Bootler, the butler to the Boo called Lady Bow, after a long and nearly violent argument, forced her to forfeit because it was "for your own safety, my lady."

**Match#30: Shy Guy vs. Panther Caruso**

That Shy Guy tried everything from stilts to flying to deadly spears to even lighting itself on fire, but that, of course, is why Panther won.

**Match#31: Metroid vs. Sonic**

Sonic ran around and around the jellyfish-like monster in a blur, and finally landed a kick right in its membrane.

**Match#32: Prince Peasley vs. Darknut**

In the final match of Round I, Peasley proved that he didn't brag about his sword fighting skills for nothing.

…

_**After Round I**_

"Move aside, move aside!" An odd group of strangers shouted as they made their way to the top box where Wario was commentating. Before Wario could say or do anything, Bottles pushed him out of the way, faced the crowd, and started speaking into the microphone in his squeaky voice.

"Everyone!" Thousands of faces stared at the bespectacled mole and the unusual group around him in the top box. "The whole of this city, no, the entire Nintendo World is in danger of the terrifying power of the evil Master Hand. We need your help to fend off this common enemy and stop him from invading the whole world! If anyone is willing, please meet us outside the north end of the colosseum after the tournament where we will explain―"

Bottles was cut off as Wario angrily shoved him aside and started yelling into the microphone. "Don't listen to these idiots! They're all crazy! In fact, for interrupting the tournament, let's just have them ejected!" Wario pressed a button hidden under a seat, and a large trapdoor opened up right where the "intruders" were standing. The ones that didn't fall in at first were pushed in by surly-looking guards. Wario laughed as he kicked Bottles into the opening, then turned back to the excited crowd to announce the beginning of the second round.

…

_**Meanwhile in the lobby…**_

Everyone was feeling confident about the next round, encouraged by their first victory. Many of them would have been astonished if they had seen what was going on in the stadium.

Luigi and DK were heading to the infirmary to visit their fallen friends and question them about their matches. They found the door with the metal plate inscribed "INFIRMARY", however, hopelessly locked.

Hello!" Luigi shouted, while DK pounded on the steel door. "Anybody there?" Then came a high-pitched voice that was obviously fake, but sounded strangely familiar.

"Sorry, um… the losers need their rest and, um… must not be disturbed in any way. Please return to your lobby, um… dear."

Puzzled, Luigi and DK returned to the lobby to prepare themselves for Round II.

* * *

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Prince Peasley, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Popo, Young Link, Fox, Toad, Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Bomberman, Roy, Chunky Kong, Samus

**Fourside City (ejected?): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Shadow Sirens, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman


	11. Chapter 9:3: Round Two

**Chapter 9: The Tournament**

**{3} Round Two**

_**Round II**_

**Match#1: Kirby vs. Donkey Kong**

The kickoff match for Round II was very interesting because the crowd witnessed another new Kirby power. DK threw an orange grenade at his pink opponent only for it to be swallowed and transforming him into…you guessed it… Orange Kirby, who then had to dodge a barrage of flying coconuts. Kirby then shriveled up squirting orange juice into DK's eyes and temporarily immobilizing him, and flew above the disabled monkey, turned into a 1-ton weight, and pounded upon the unfortunate ape's head.

**Match#2: Yoshi vs. The Crystal King**

This match was long and ferocious; for the fighters seemed to, strangely, gain a bit more stamina in each later round. It finally ended when the metal Yoshi foolishly ate the Crystal King's crown and had an overwhelming brain freeze (but Metal Yoshi wasn't destroyed).

**Match#3: Super Toad vs. Mr. Game and Watch**

Super Toad had a surprising array of weapons in addition to the beam sword he'd already demonstrated using: ninja spikes, a nunchuk, a water gun filled with lemon juice, and a jetpack. Unfortunately for Super Toad, most of these weapons were designed to defeat 3-D opponents. This was also the day he discovered his fainting allergy to black 2-D bacon.

**Match#4: Dark Link vs. The Shadow Queen**

See Round I, Match #8. Same concept. Interestingly, the particular Dark Link who entered the tournament was not Dark Link at all; but a familiar Paper Mario character who goes by the name "Doopliss."

**Match#5: Hammer Masta vs. Captain Falcon**

As far as hammer-throwing skills, Hammer Masta really was a master. But even his accurate throws couldn't hit the blurred speeding figure of Captain Falcon. One hit from Falcon's famous Falcon Kick and the Hammer Bro was out like a light.

**Match#6: Diddy Kong vs. Magikoopa**

Unlike Diddy Kong's first match (see Round I, Match #11), this time Diddy had to break out a couple of his weapons. He shot peanuts up at the flying magician while the Magikoopa dropped yellow blocks everywhere. Then, as Magikoopa fired a blast of magical shapes at him, Diddy wiped out his opponent with a rocking tune from his intricate yellow and red guitar, making himself a crowd favorite.

**Match#7: Clubba vs. Popo**

It was a furious match of hammerific proportions. In the end, Popo's ice-creating advantage won over, and Clubba was immediately carried away to be thawed out in a hot tub.

**Match#8: Fox vs. Charizard**

Fox had often released the fiery beast from a Poke'ball to wreak havoc among his opponents in VS. Mode, but never had an opportunity arisen when he had to actually face this creature. Having to use his reflector to deflect all the red-hot flames spewed at him made Fox weary, but at one point he managed to dodge a dive from Charizard and Meteor Smash it onto the ground.

**Match#9: The Shadow vs. The Master**

"Foolish young one, you have no probability of triumphing over I, The Master, who has fallen to none save the legendary red plumber himself!" Those were The Master's words before a fierce battle ensued. This time The Shadow didn't have a Toad tranquilizer, but the Master didn't expect The Shadow's cape to have the power to deflect magical attacks. Now "The Master" had accumulated two losses.

**Match#10: Iron Knuckle vs. King K. Rool**

In this match the Crocodile King brought out his red boxing gloves, which predictably weren't much use against Iron Knuckle's enormous sword. And King K. Rool's exploding oranges simply bounced off his opponent's armor. Eventually K. Rool was disqualified for calling on several of his Kremling henchmen to assist him.

**Match#11: Wolf O' Donnell vs. King Dedede**

When the match began, Wolf started circling around Dedede on all fours, as a wolf considers its prey. Then, suddenly, Wolf pounced towards the king, but was surprised when Dedede puffed up into the air like Kirby does. Wolf quickly turned around to find Dedede back on the ground facing him, panting slightly. Wolf immediately created a strategy to tire out his opponent so Dedede wouldn't be able to fly anymore. He moved just close enough to cause Dedede to swing his gigantic hammer, then jumped back to avoid it. Several more times Wolf did this, and after a few minutes Dedede was sweating and breathing heavily. But as Wolf prepared for his final lunge, Dedede imitated another of Kirby's famous abilities, and began sucking air very quickly through his mouth. Wolf, tried to stand his ground, but the pull was too strong. He wasn't eaten, but his alternate fate wasn't too much better. At just the right moment, Dedede swung his hammer with the remains of his energy, sending Wolf flying away and collapsing motionless on the ground about ten feet away.

**Match#12: Luigi vs. Lanky Kong**

As soon as Wario bellowed "Go!" Luigi bent his knees and prepared for his famous Green Missile attack, aimed right at the orangutan. Lanky was just standing in the same place, waving his arms in the air ecstatically, taking no notice of his opponent. A few seconds later, Luigi shot himself headfirst horizontally at a speed of at least 60 mph. Green fire blazed around him as he shot towards the orange overall-clad monkey. At the last second, when the audience was sure that Luigi was the inevitable victor, Lanky pushed off from the ground with his abnormally long arms and leaped into the air with a monkeyish cheer. Luigi alarmingly sped directly below the reflexive orangutan, and painfully scraped against the hard ground several times before coming to a halt. Then Lanky took out his also famous Grape Shooter, and shot several giant homing grapes toward Luigi's sprawled figure. Luigi hastily got back up and began shooting green fireballs to counterattack Lanky's barrage of grapes. The crowd gasped (and some screamed) as with each impact the grapes exploded and covered Lanky and Luigi in purple grape-flavored goo. After his ammunition was depleted, Lanky leaped backwards into a steady handstand and charged ferociously at Luigi. Luigi charged up one final Green Missile and the two figures collided with more gasps from the audience. The following scene revealed Lanky unconsciously mangled on the ground, and Luigi on his knees, wiping grape remains off of his lush mustache.

**Match#13: Leon Powalski vs. Ness**

Metal Ness continued to prove to be one of the most strategically difficult metal opponents of all the metal creations. The fact was that Leon Powalski had won his first match due to having such an idiotic adversary. He had a sharp tongue and fairly proficient flying skills, but when it came to ground fighting, he couldn't do much. His predicament was further doomed because Ness's immovable metal form could not be budged while he generated a very power PK Flash and mercilessly wiped out his unprepared opponent.

**Match#14: Ganondorf vs. Young Link**

Under normal circumstances any form of Link, young or old, would possess some unique power or weapon (besides the Triforce of Courage) that would allow him to defeat his archenemy without too much trouble. But this time Young Link had no Master Sword, no Light Arrows, and no protective Magic Armor. This time, Ganondorf really was just fighting a green-clad kid with hazardous toys. The evil lord gloated as he smacked Young Link away unconscious with one blow, and had to fight hard against his desires to resist going in for the kill.

**Match#15: Captain Bobbery vs. Panther Caruso**

Most readers would expect Panther, a fierce flyer and warrior, to defeat a mere Bob-omb with extreme ease. But Captain Bobbery was no mere Bob-omb. After all his experiences with the sea and monsters and near death had Mario not delivered to him some precious Chuckola Soda at the right time, Bobbery knew his trade better than any Bob-omb ever to exist (with the only possible challenger being Bombette). Panther gave a wild growl and sprinted toward the hardy Bob-omb on all fours. Similar to the previous match, as soon as Bobbery was about to be slashed, he exploded, shooting his remarkably unharmed self dozens of feet into the air. Panther slid to a stop and looked up; unaware that Bobbery had purposely fallen down quickly and stealthily behind him and had thrown (somehow) three time bombs right behind Panther's paws. So Panther Caruso was surprised (to say the least) when he was suddenly blown off his paws and thrown into the air, to land back on the ground with a painful _thump_ and a growl of defeat.

**Match#16: Sonic vs. Prince Peasley**

There couldn't have been a better match to close Round II. Neither side appeared to be winning for some time. Peasley was on his winged bean slashing at the blue hedgehog with his sword. Sonic, on the other hand was avoiding the prince's bean-and-sword antics by performing some amazing stunts himself. There was flipping, jumping, ducking, diving, rolling, dodging, leaping, running, and numerous other descriptive action words that don't immediately come to mind. Sonic finally managed to get underneath Peasley's flying bean, and kept up pace so as to stay under it. The speedy animal punched straight through the brittle green bean and knocked Prince Peasley about eight feet to the ground. With his ride gone, Peasley haughtily got to his feet, brushed himself off, and smugly yelled, "Enguarde!" before leaping at Sonic with his sword pointed forward. Sonic dived (why do these action words keep coming up?) behind Peasley and swiftly landed a kick similar to the Sonic vs. Metroid scenario to end the match and the round, but the game was far from over.

…

_**During and After Round II**_

As it turned out, the sixteen-character warning party was not ejected out of the stadium. They actually landed somewhere much worse, instead of being safely ejected out of the stadium where they could have reentered by forcing their way through the guards and found the lobby where there were characters who would believe them.

But alas, they had no such freedoms as they landed into the dank holding cell beneath the infirmary. Luckily it was large enough for all of them to fit, but it had cold, damp, stone floors and walls, and on one side were a single moldy mattress and a small stone bench. On the other wall were a contrasting steel door with no knob on their side and a very small barred window. It was only when they had recovered from their fall and were beginning to look around them that they realized they were three members short. The Shadow Sirens must have disappeared at the last second, but they had no way of finding them underground. Unfortunately the cell was too small for Link to blow up one of the walls with a bomb without seriously injuring some of them, so there was no foreseeable way out. Link, Zelda, Falco, Mario, the Rito Postman, and Banjo and Kazooie crowded around the small window and peered through it. The rest were either too short to see through the window or were too weary to attempt to stand up.

Through the bars they could see a room none of them recognized and were very surprised to see, except for Mario, who was the only one to recognize the sleek black walls and the complicated machine about fifteen yards away. Mario gasped louder than anyone, and pushed his way in front of the window.

"This is a-very a-bad!" Mario said. "I have a-seen Master Hand use a-this machine to a-turn Pikachu into a trophy! If they a-have the same machine a-here, then they must be a-planning to a-turn some people into trophies!"

Everyone else stood there wordlessly, taking in the true meaning of Mario's words. If there was a device in the Fourside Colosseum that could transform things into trophies, then it was more than likely that its intended victims were contestants who had lost and had been taken into the hands of the infirmary. It was after thinking this that Mario noticed the only difference in this room: there were stairs leading up, presumably to the infirmary, in the farthest right corner.

…

_**Meanwhile…**_

But there was one problem with their theory. Some of the fallen characters, after the second round, were now entering the stands to watch the rest of the tournament. Bowser, along with the other non-competitors, watched carefully, but there was no sign of Yoshi, Samus, or Roy, who had all fallen in the first round and should have recovered by now. Bowser was especially sure that Yoshi would have returned to the stands to watch Luigi fight, but the adorable green dinosaur was nowhere to be seen. Chunky Kong and Bomberman came to sit next to him, and began babbling about their matches, but Bowser wasn't listening. He knew there was something suspicious about this tournament, and he was determined to uncover it. But for now it was best to just keep eyes and ears open to any sign of additional abnormal activities. He wouldn't have been able to investigate anyway, because the audience was supposed to stay seated during matches, and the next round was about to begin (Wario's voice as irritating as ever).

* * *

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Luigi, Kirby, Mr. Game and Watch, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Popo, Fox, Toad, Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario, Bomberman, Chunky Kong

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Roy, Samus, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong

**Fourside City (Holding Cell): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**?:** The Shadow Sirens

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach


	12. Chapter 9:4: Round Three

**Chapter 9: The Tournament**

**{4} Round Three**

_**Round III**_

**Match#1: Kirby vs. The Crystal King**

You may have noticed that the match descriptions are increasing in length. Well the reason for this is simply the fact that better fighters make better (and usually longer) matches. When Round III began, the sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon. There had been a dinner break during the intermission, during which about one-third of the audience had left for the concession stands, and the rest had either brought their own food, or were too excited about the upcoming matches to eat.

Anyway, Kirby was at a major disadvantage this time because the even if he sucked up one of the Crystal King's ice crystals and transformed into Ice Kirby, he knew that the King wouldn't be affected by his own element (basic RPG logic). The Crystal King laughed wickedly and summoned a whole swarm of floating ice crystals to circle around Kirby, spinning faster and faster. From the audience's perspective Kirby could not be seen through the virtual wall of ice crystals. Then all 234 of them suddenly froze in place (no pun intended) and darted towards the center. The crowd gasped when this occurred, but cheered when the ice crystals flew back towards the Crystal King to reveal not an ice-impaled Kirby, as most had expected, but a large rock. The rock soon turned back into Kirby, who, although he had avoided most of the potential injuries by transforming into a rock, was badly covered in cuts and scratches. The Crystal King continued laughing and advanced towards Kirby's barely standing round figure. Kirby looked around him, but there was nothing that he could eat to transform into a powerful copy ability, only the field and the audience…

…

Outside the stadium, a previously-flaming Shy Guy was just waking up from his defeat. Unfortunately, the flames had damaged it mentally as well as physically. In fact, now it was completely insane. It used a magnifying glass and the sinking sun to light its head on fire once more, and began charging towards the stadium, ignoring the yelling guards who leaped out of his way.

…

Screams came from the audience as a mad flaming Shy Guy started running onto the field. Even the Ice King and Kirby turned to watch as the hazardous Shy Guy flailed its tiny arms around and ran around randomly. Then the Ice King turned back to his victim. "After you are in a state of being cryogenically preserved, I shall move on to the Finals! Ha ha ha!" He raised one of his sleeves to charge up his freezing finishing blow.

But by now, the ignited Shy Guy was only a few feet away from Kirby, who just then realized the opportunity he had been given. He forcefully sucked up air powerfully, dragging the screaming and wailing Shy Guy into his mouth, and quickly swallowed before he could get burned. And what happened next isn't hard to predict. Kirby dramatically transformed into Fire Kirby, much to the glee of the audience, and began preparing an attack of his own. The streams of fire and ice were released at precisely the same time, and met each other briefly in the middle of the distance between Kirby and the Crystal King, but the ice was easily overcome, and the flames engulfed the Crystal King in a nearly-fatal wave of energy. The first Finalist had been chosen.

**Match#2: Mr. G. and W. vs. The Shadow Queen**

Black vs. purple-black. Slow frame-rated outline vs. dark hand surrounded by purple energy. It made for a good match, showing the crowd for the first time the real extent of "The Shadow Queen's" abilities. The only other participant that could have provided an equally interesting match is perhaps Dark Link (the real one), because silhouettes are strangely immune to being dragged down by the purple hand's grasp.

Mr. Game and Watch was extremely nervous. He had heard rumors of this competitor's effortless victories, and although he knew of his immunity, there was no telling what such an opponent might have in store. When the match began, Mr. Game and Watch didn't even try to use his sausages; instead he circled his opponent warily, looking for an opportunity to use his hammer that sometimes could prove to be a lethal attack (every time he used it a box appeared over him displaying a number from 1 to 9, 9 being the most powerful and effective, 1 doing no more than a firm tap). Hopefully luck would be on his side.

"The Shadow Queen's" purple hand and arm stayed still and considered its opponent, as if it were trying to decide which way to cook a chicken for dinner. Then its hand balled itself into a fist and suddenly lunged rapidly at Mr. Game and Watch, the arm stretching from the ground behind it. Mr. Game and Watch did his remarkable "trampoline/firefighter" jump, soaring high into the air, then lunged himself down toward the spot where the arm came out of the ground. He smacked his chance hammer hard onto the stretch of arm coming out of it.

An electric shock surrounded the hammer as it hit its target (the number 6 was displayed in the box above Mr. Game and Watch's head); alone the hammer would have done nothing, but with the electrical surge, a screeching wail was heard coming from the returning hand, reminiscent of the battle Mario fought in the Palace of Shadow. Mr. Game and Watch backed away as the purple hand writhed and screeched on the ground, and finally sank wearily into the ground, leaving empty space in its place.

Mr. Game and Watch held up his hands triumphantly, one clutching his lucky chance hammer. But unfortunately for him, the somewhat diminished version of the Shadow Queen was just biding its time; soon after Mr. Game and Watch took his sight off the battlefield, dozens of smaller purple hands shot out of the ground and overwhelmed the poor silhouette. But before he went down several of the hands were smashed by large black sausages, frozen, zapped, KO'd, or hit by a turtle.

**Match#3: Captain Falcon vs. Diddy Kong**

By Round III, Diddy was one of the most favored competitors to win the tournament. Some audience members were already wearing Diddy's trademark red hat and red shirt with a hollow yellow star on it. However, Captain Falcon, with his impressive build and intimidating suit, was also fairly popular among the crowds, so the crowd was still split.

Diddy Kong and Captain Falcon immediately dove into a tussle of swift acrobatics. They dodged each other with jumps, flips, and (in Diddy's case) cartwheels. A few minutes into the match they were a good distance away from each other, already tired from their extremely athletic efforts. Then, a certain obnoxious crowd member in the front threw a medium-sized rock at Captain Falcon, who narrowly dodged it. Diddy meanwhile was busy waving to the crowd. Captain Falcon seized this opportunity to pick up the rock and hurl it as accurately as he could at the chimp. Diddy noticed the projectile just in time to avoid a direct impact, but the rock landed directly onto his tail, snagging it in place.

At this point Captain Falcon charged full speed toward the trapped Kong, ducking his head to go faster. So quickly did he move that Diddy had no time to pick up the rock; instead, he fired a barrage of peanuts and exploding oranges. Captain Falcon, with little difficulty, avoided each item, and rammed Diddy mercilessly, knocking the chimp a dozen or so feet away. "Show me your moves!" Captain Falcon gloated, as he closed in to finish the monkey off.

Diddy did not have the strength to get up. He could only watch as Falcon loomed over him and raised a boot dramatically to squash him like a bug. Diddy then discovered a new move to add to his arsenal; just as Captain Falcon was about to lower his foot, Diddy spun on the ground in a sort of break-dancing move, balancing on one hand and using his tail to knock his opponent off his feet. He then used the last of his strength to activate his jetpack, and hovered directly over the startled captain, burning him with the flames emitting from his jetpack, careful to only burn him long enough to take him out of the running.

**Match#4: Popo vs. Fox**

Unfortunately for Popo in this match, all of his ice-related attacks could easily be countered by Fox with either his laser or his reflector. Popo, as short as he was, wasn't really much of a hand-to-hand combat fighter, and suffered for his hereditary weakness.

Popo began blocking all of Fox's kicks and punches with his sturdy hammer, but soon after it was splintered into hundreds of pieces by a carefully aimed shot from Fox's laser. With no hammer available and ice not being able to be used effectively against Fox, Popo was running out of ideas. _If only the battlefield wasn't so flat, _he thought, _then I would have the advantage._ But alternate terrains were one of the features unavailable during this particular tournament (due to a pesky affair when a myriad of Monty Moles sabotaged the equipment used to change the field, forcing the ones making preparations for the tournament to settle for a flat cement ground). So he had no means to defend himself when Fox went in for a sideways spiraling kick to finish the match.

**Match#5: The Shadow vs. Iron Knuckle**

The particular Iron Knuckle who had so far been fortunate in the selection of his opponents had grown overconfident. Disregarding all of his relatives who had been slain by a small boy dressed in green, he had made the decision to make his ascent to the big leagues. As satisfying as it was to be victorious over a purple monkey and a crazy crocodile, his assumption that all of the competitors were incompetent did not help him concentrate.

So Iron Knuckle laughed at his small cloaked opponent as he swung his gigantic sword at the swift figure. But he quickly grew frustrated as one by one, the adversary knocked off each one of his pieces of armor, including his helmet and shield. Finally, he could not tolerate it any longer; he impatiently (and more swiftly now that he was not burdened with his heavy armor) drove the figure back towards the wall of the stadium. At last the figure was backed up against the wall. Iron Knuckle brought his sword back without raising it, and stabbed straight at the cloaked figure. But the result did not suit him well; not only had his opponent leaped up and over him in a blur at the last second, but his sword was stuck deep into the stone wall. He attempted to tug and pull it out, but failed to accomplish this before The Shadow leaped and land hard onto the middle of the sword, snapping it in two. The force released by the sword pushed Iron Knuckle backwards and onto the ground, giving The Shadow time to use the portion of the sword still stuck in the wall as a sort of diving board and land a hard red-and-white-boot kick into the swordsman's head.

**Match#6: King Dedede vs. Luigi**

After his grape-flavored encounter with Lanky Kong in Round II, Luigi worried how difficult his next opponent would be. The Shroob had been a piece of cake, but Luigi considered himself very lucky to still be conscious after the grape explosion. As Luigi stood across from King Dedede, who was brandishing his giant hammer with stars on the ends, Luigi remembered back to the Beanbean Kingdom when he had dueled with the Hammer Bros. with Prince Peasley on top of the Bullet Bill-shooting tank. In that instance, though, his opponent's hammer wasn't twice as large as his, and wasn't being controlled by a fat but bulky opponent.

Dedede sucked in air rapidly through his mouth with his hammer at the ready, expecting the same results as in his battle versus Wolf. But Luigi, who had fought Kirby before in VS. Mode, knew exactly how to counteract this attack. He generated a ball of green fire in his hands, molding it like a snowball, and threw it like a baseball directly into Dedede's open mouth. The fireball was further sped up by the force of the air pushing it along its way into the source of the suction.

Dedede closed his mouth in surprise, but too late, for the green fireball had already entered his mouth, and was scorching everything inside. Dedede closed his eyes painfully and coughed, billows of smoke coming out of his burned mouth. He then opened his eyes with a new fury lit inside them, and charged with his hammer at the green Italian plumber.

Luigi brought out his hammer just in time, blocking Dedede's swing, but painfully jerking his hands holding the hammer. Then another fiery hammer brawl ensued (hammers were about as popular as swords these days). Although Luigi's muscles had been built up considerably from plumbing and swinging his hammer, Luigi's skills were a questionable match-up to Dedede's brute force. Luigi had to be nimble, dodging his opponent's swings and looking for an opening. Finally, after ducking low beneath a particularly savage horizontal swing, he swung his own hammer backwards behind his head and smashed Dedede's hands.

Dedede immediately dropped his hammer (which Luigi promptly crushed) and nursed his throbbing fingers. Suddenly he looked up with even more savagery, more than Luigi had seen in an individual since he had fought the bewitched Chestnut King. Dedede puffed up his body and floated into the air several feet, then moved so his round shadow was directly over Luigi. He took a deep breath, and then dived relentlessly at the green figure below. Luigi bent his knees, braced himself, then, at the perfect moment, made upward contact with his fist, leaping upward against gravity's crashing force.

This inexplicable move has puzzled me for a long time; if Luigi is in the correct position, one upward thrust of his fist and a jump can instantly KO many opponents. His brother, Mario, has no such move, only managing to steal several coins from his opponents.

So Dedede soared at least 30 feet in the air before coming down with a shaking bang, his great red coat sizzling from the attack (also inexplicable).

**Match#7: Ness vs. Ganondorf**

As were all of Metal Ness's other opponents, Ganondorf was surprised when he discovered that his opponent was not really Ness, but a metal copy with the same abilities. At first he took it as a mindless puppet being controlled by some cowardly mage in the audience or outside the stadium. But soon into the match, he realized this couldn't be the case.

Metal Ness was not only individually intelligent, but he had all of the real powers that the normal Ness would have. It also seemed that the metal opponent knew every trick Ganondorf tried before he attempted it. No form of Gerudo Kick, punch, elbow, dive, or roll seemed to startle Metal Ness in the slightest. And Ganondorf's opponent's attacks were becoming increasingly difficult to avoid; even though he was very strong and reasonably fast, he could not keep dodging repetitive PK Flashes, Fires, and Thunders forever.

Then Ganondorf decided to resort to heavy duty. The Triforce on the back of his hand glowed brightly; dark matter materialized into his huge heavy sword, glinting off the setting sun above. He yelled and charge at the metal figure. In response it charged up a particularly fiery PK Fire, and then when Ganondorf was drawing upon it, unleashed its attack in his direction. Ganondorf laughed and effortlessly blocked it with his resistant sword (if Metal Ness had eyebrows, he would have raised them). The metal enemy rapidly charged up a huge ball of energy, a mix of all three of its psychic attacks, and launched it at Ganondorf, but the entire ball of energy was absorbed into the purple hilt of the sword. As the King of Evil sliced his weapon down upon Metal Ness, mercilessly, it hopelessly tried a psychic shield, which is commonly known to only absorb certain energy projectiles. A lot of good that did it.

Luckily for Ganondorf, the medics, in their examination, weren't sure if a metal character is supposed to breath (and through my research, I have discovered that in fact they don't), so were unable to declare it dead until some while after the tournament.

**Match#8: Captain Bobbery vs. Sonic**

Sonic had quite a predicament on his hands. He couldn't directly attack his bomb of an opponent for fear of it exploding the moment they made contact. The bomb, on the other hand, while not speedy, needn't worry about blowing _itself_ up after it was in a close enough proximity to attack him, because Bob-ombs always strangely survive self-detonations (there are so many strange facts and laws like this in the Nintendo world that it would bore not necessarily you, but me to the point where I would just scream, "Who cares!" at the sky and give up on my work. And you would not want that…would you?)

So all Sonic could do was stay far out of Bobbery's exploding range while the captain called out remarks such as, "Come on, lad! I personally have all day, but we wouldn't want to keep this audience waiting _too_ long, _would_ we, lad?" or, "Hedgehogs these days and their strange hair styles…" ("I've heard of explosive personalities, but this is just going too far," Sonic muttered mid-run)

His only chance was to fool Bobbery into exploding and then knock him out while he was still re-fusing himself (or whatever Bob-ombs do that allow them to explode repetitively). Sonic looked around the arena, and spotted a gigantic hammer smashed in two not far away. He sped over to the hammer's remains, picked up both pieces (not including the tiny splinters of wood that broke apart from the hammer), and hurled one high and accurately. Captain Bobbery was distracted by the wood and followed it with his old eyes. Meanwhile, Sonic sped right towards the unsuspecting sailor. When he was only a couple yards away, Bobbery caught sight of the blue hedgehog, and prepared to explode. As Sonic barely entered hitting distance, the captain with an explosive personality instinctively detonated, sending itself high into the air. Before Sonic could be hit, however, he almost instantly doubled back and ran a few yards the other direction to a safe distance. He then quickly aimed at the soaring bomb and chucked the second hammer piece to nail Bobbery right in the face. The Bob-omb then exploded a second time, but this time he zoomed horizontally, slamming into the wall. He was too weary to look up to see Sonic's high jump kick, so therefore the fortunate hedgehog left the match both victorious and unscathed.

…

_**During and After Round III**_

_**Somewhere on Yoshi's Island…**_

Bowser Jr. and Doopliss woke up in a densely forested jungle with saturated light coming from the setting sun above. Everywhere around them were brightly colored palm trees and various twittering and chirruping noises. Confused, they got up and explored together through the jungle (Doopliss as a duplicated Bowser Jr.) until they found themselves at the shore of an expansive sea, with distantly visible land on three sides. They stood there for a while, pondering what they could remember of their last tournament battle, involving a large purple hand and a horrible sinking feeling.

Eventually they found their way to the nearest Yoshi village, but were treated almost as if they were old enemies and banished from Yoshi civilization. So Doopliss and Bowser Jr. were forced to head back into the jungle, where they faced all sorts of perils to occupy them far into the future, when the tournament seemed to be only a fading dream. By the time they had finally managed to construct a small boat and oars for their journey to another land, the baby Yoshis in the village had almost reached adulthood (I will not go into detail on Yoshi growth patterns here).

…

_**Underneath the Fourside Colosseum Infirmary…**_

They had tried everything. Nothing would break the stone walls or steel door that enclosed them. Not even grenade eggs, blasters, or high-tech explosives (courtesy of Professor E. Gadd) were enough to break out with, and the ground was far too hard for Bottles to even attempt to dig under. But after a long while Banjo came up with an idea.

"Hey, Kazooie, why don't you use one of your remote-controlled eggs to explore the room beyond the steel door?"

"Well, now _there's_ and idea," Kazooie pronounced dramatically. Then her voiced became serious. "Yeah, we could do that, but I only have one left, and I can't lay anymore without my special bird feed." At the mention of food everyone realized that they were growing hungry after their confinement. Kazooie (from her roost inside Banjo's blue backpack) searched inside her perpetual nest and drew out a large red yellow-spotted egg. The sassy red breegull stuck it in her mouth and spat it at the bars where it split open, and out popped the tiny clockwork mecha-Kazooie.

Everyone (or everyone who could) gathered at the window to watch the bird-controlled bird scurry across the sleek black room. It then stopped, showing that its master was unsure of where to go.

"Make it go up the stairs," Bottles urged. So Kazooie, with a sort of sixth sense that allowed her to control and see the viewpoint of her little mechanism, made mini-Kazooie leap up the steps one by one.

"Dang! There's another steel door up the steps!" Everyone groaned at Kazooie's update. But at that moment, luck appeared to be temporarily on their side, for the steel door Kazooie spoke of opened up and a long-legged lanky mustachioed figure wearing a purple hat with a flipped L on it stepped through the outwardly swinging door (Waluigi, for crying out loud). The unfortunate side was that the steel door smashed mini-Kazooie into the wall with a bang that muffled its small explosion. But Waluigi was dragging a limp form through the doorway and down the steps, grunting occasionally with the effort. He then strapped the unconscious figure to a tall chair with the Super Smash Bros. symbol next to the strange machine. As he did this, the characters behind the bars gasped as they recognized Samus, still in her power suit. Waluigi then activated the strange machine until it was whirring dangerously loud. A blinding flash of light ensued, revealing in place of the drooping figure a rigid Samus trophy, standing up and posing as if everything was fine.

Waluigi whistled a merry tune as he pushed the life-sized trophy into a corner, shut off the machine, and headed back up the black steps, closing the steel door with a clang.

…

Through the glowing Battlefields marched an army at least ten times the size of Master Hand's battalion from Saffron City. It was made up of several hundred currently camouflaged Fighting Wire Frames, led by five metal characters, and all directed by Crazy Hand himself. They had only just left Master Hand's room, but were moving at a swift pace. In less than 24 hours they would be invading Fourside City, crushing the rebellion once and for all.

Or so Crazy Hand was thinking. He had been furious when many of their prisoners had escaped through the mouse hole in Master Hand's room, and had been unable to pursue them far because they wanted to maintain the element of surprise when they attacked, and could not risk being seen by anyone from or around Fourside City until they were ready. Which they were now. Primarily on his mind was revenge on those who had escaped, the Rebels (although they had never been much of a threat), and especially that infernal Bomberman who had ruined their recent invasion of Saffron City. But unfortunately, most of them would have to wait until he, Crazy Hand, brought them all to Master Hand. This time they would not escape (for there was not much of a chance that they had already found their way out of the Battlefields _and_ navigated out of Fourside City's huge expanse). But in the impossible chance that they did, he would not rest until he had caught them.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Reviews are always appreciated. :) And congratulations! You've now reached the end of my crappy chapters! Look forward to increasingly greater quality in Chapters 10 and on. The story only gets better from here on out...you shall see...

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Luigi, Kirby, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Fox, Toad, Ganondorf, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario, Bomberman, Chunky Kong

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Roy, Samus, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Captain Falcon

**Fourside City (Holding Cell): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**?:** The Shadow Sirens

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus


	13. Chapter 10:1: The Quarterfinals

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Stars**

**{1} The Quarterfinals**

If you think this story has been lame and predictable so far, then I am sorry, but you either have either read far too many books to the point where nothing can fool or surprise you, or you simply have bad taste. Excuse me for interrupting this suspenseful tale; please continue.

…

_**Before the Quarterfinals**_

Kirby, Diddy Kong, Fox, Luigi, Ganondorf, and Sonic were the only ones remaining in their lobby (of course, there were only eight finalists total, so only two competitors were still in the other lobby). All of them were thrilled to have won 1,000 coins, but Luigi had other things on his mind. He wondered how Yoshi and his other fellow competitors who had fallen were faring. Perhaps he would attempt to visit the infirmary a second time, but maybe later. Right now, he had a question for Sonic that he really wanted to know.

"So why are you in this world, Sonic, and not in one of the other worlds?"

Yes, you heard (or read) Luigi correctly. There were other worlds besides the Nintendo World in which video game characters existed. The most commonly known foreign worlds were the Microsoft World and the Sony World. Once upon a time, these worlds used to commune with each other and characters frequently traveled between them, but times had changed. At some point, the creators of the worlds decided to keep their worlds completely isolated from other worlds, disallowing any communication or traveling between the worlds at all. Microsoft was the strictest in this manner; it even managed to steal some of Nintendo's most beloved characters. I could describe to you the great Copyright Wars that ensued, but that would be an entirely different story, wouldn't it?

Sonic hesitated, and then replied, "Do you remember Banjo and Kazooie?"

"Yes, of course!" Luigi said. "They were great friends! That is, until they were taken in the Copyright Wars with all of the other Rare characters to the Microsoft World. The last time I saw them they were trying to hide somewhere in the Kongo Jungle…"

"Well, I was still in the Sony World at the time. But near the end of the war, I remember me and several others found our way onto a tiny island in between the Microsoft and Sony Worlds. Among them were Banjo and Kazooie, Megaman, Conker, and Pac-man. Together we constructed a small ship and sailed away to the Nintendo World. Unfortunately, partway through our voyage we were spotted by a battleship of the Microsoft Navy. We were almost on the shores of Dreamland, but then we were attacked. Our ship was destroyed, and all the escapees except for me, Banjo and Kazooie, Megaman, and Pac-man were captured and sent back to their respective worlds.

"Now security in the other worlds, especially the Microsoft World, is extremely tight, so it is nearly impossible to get in or out. So I haven't seen or heard from any of my comrades for a long time. Although I have heard there have been a couple breaches now and then, anyone who approaches the Microsoft World does so at their peril."

Diddy Kong, who had apparently been listening, then spoke up. "Yeah, I know all about the Copyright Wars. You see, lucky for me and my family, we belong to Nintendo, not Rare. Same with Fox. But Lanky, Microsoft tried to take him by arguing that the only game he had ever appeared in was made by Rare. But Nintendo won that battle, fortunately, because even though Microsoft had a larger and more lethal army at its command, Nintendo had some better quality forces on their side that turned the war in their favor, eventually leading to Sony making a truce with them and Microsoft retreating back to their own land. What forces were those? Even I don't know that, and I don't know anyone alive in this world that would."

The others nodded, intrigued by this information, but their minds were beginning to shift back toward concerning themselves about their next match.

"Match one of the Quarterfinals!" Wario announced even more enthusiastically than before. "Kirby vs. THE SHADOW QUEEN!" The competitors noticed that the Shadow Queen was announced much louder and with more enthusiasm, and worried for Kirby as the pink puffball determinedly walked into the stadium. Although they had not seen or faced this opponent, they had heard rumors of the impossibility of the task of defeating it.

"He's doomed," Fox whispered to Luigi, shaking his head.

…

**Quarterfinals**

**Quarterfinal Match#1: Kirby vs. The Shadow Queen**

When Kirby entered the colosseum he heard a booming chant of "Shadow Queen!" shouting from the audience. Evidently, no one expected much of a fight, as only silhouettes were immune to being pulled through the ground. But Kirby had an idea that would protect him from suffering the same fate.

Hundreds of purple hands rose out of the ground around the primary one, and all of them stretched out to drag Kirby to his doom. Kirby waited for all of the small ones to be in one huge mass of purple arms, and then began the classic procedure of sucking in his enemies. Every single arm except for the first one was sucked through Kirby's mouth, which had never been fuller. Kirby's cheeks bulged and pulsed in places due to all of the writhing purple hands encased inside it. Then, with one huge gulp, he swallowed them all, simultaneously ridding himself of his many minor opponents and discovering one of the most powerful Copy Abilities he had ever found.

So far Kirby had discovered two new abilities within the past couple weeks: Chicken Kirby and Orange Kirby. In fact, by the end of this story, Kirby will have discovered no more and no less than five new copy abilities. But this one, Shadow Kirby, number three, is the most powerful by far. Unfortunately, Kirby would not have another opportunity to use this ability, but those who saw Shadow Kirby would be guaranteed by me to never forget it.

Kirby looked most similarly to his Mr. Game & Watch ability, but was not pure black. Purple energy and mist rippled around him, but Kirby hadn't changed on the inside at all; he was still the lovable puffball we have always known. He faced his now-solitary opponent (still, annoyingly, in its favorite form of a purple arm), and narrowed his eyes. _It's time to avenge everyone who has been fallen victim to this monstrosity,_ he thought. _The reign of the Shadow Queen ends now._

At this point the crowd, seeing that Kirby now possibly had a chance of victory, turned its favor to the now purple-black puffball, with the chant "Shadow Queen!" fading and rising with renewed vigor shouting, "Kirby! Kirby!" Even his opponent seemed a little startled and disconcerted at the sudden change of events (as far as its mood could be determined in the form of a purple hand).

Kirby disappeared into the ground in exactly the way the Shadow Sirens did, and appeared on the opposite side of his opponent, challenging it with a stubby purple arm. Finally, his enemy had recomposed itself and decided to attempt to end it quickly before Kirby realized the full potential of his newly-found powers. The hand suddenly shot forward at lightning speed (or almost that) at its similarly color schemed opponent. Kirby responded by jumping forward and kicking out to meet the Shadow Queen's attack. The result was the beginning of a black-and-purple brawl that was near impossible to follow by the crowd. With the same dangerous color pattern in both enemies, the only way to distinguish them was faint outlines around each figure.

Kirby fought valiantly, but the so-called Shadow Queen was just a tad too strong for him to cope with. After kicking, punching, leaping, and many other descriptive action words, the large purple hand finally got a grasp on the comparatively monochromatic puffball. The arm spun itself round and round, faster and faster, until it was just a blur, and sent Kirby careening into the far wall at a velocity exceeding any baseball pitch ever known. The fortunate part was that Kirby did not, at least, have to share the tedious fates of Bowser Jr. and Doopliss.

**Quarterfinal Match #2: Diddy Kong vs. Fox**

This was one of the last matches in which the contestants fought respectably. Once again, both contestants were highly favored by the crowd (just about all the finalists were this way), but only one could walk away victorious.

Diddy began by testing the maneuverability traits of his opponent, Fox McCloud. He sent a barrage of several dangerously bouncing orange grenades, but Fox used this as an opportunity to show off to the crowd by avoiding them with dramatic acrobatic flips and jumps. Next Fox tested the dog-related pilot's auditory endurance with a few loud chords of his yellow and red star-shaped guitar. Fox, accustomed to loud noises from Arwings and other space crafts, was unaffected. Fox then executed a move where he jerked into a running position, and with a _whoosh_ was suddenly on Diddy's other side, and the Kong had been knocked to the ground. Diddy, in response, crouched with his hands over his head, began running in place, and zoomed into Fox with such speed that even the nimble fox was caught by surprise. Fox flew back about ten feet in midair, and then slid back a few feet more, landing on one knee with his right arm resting on the other. He looked up, now slightly aggravated and rushed full speed at the clothed chimp. But Diddy Kong, at the last second, ignited his double-barreled jetpack and launched into the air, Fox skidding to a halt underneath him. Diddy fired several peanuts out of his peanut pistols straight down, where Fox was standing, who rolled out of the way just in time.

Fox backed up and followed Diddy's flying form carefully. To the shock and angered cries of the crowd, Fox got out his potentially lethal laser gun and started aiming at the flying monkey. Meanwhile, Diddy followed up his first peanut attack with a barrage of dozens of more peanuts, a few of them even following Fox's now-dodging figure. One sneaky peanut snuck behind Fox and hit him in the back, knocking him down face-first. Fox, now red-eyed and fully agitated, leaped back onto his feet, took careful aim, whispered, "Enjoy your 1,000 coins, Diddy; and your trip down!" and fired his laser, striking Diddy's left jetpack barrel, which didn't completely explode, but burst into flames, singed Diddy's brown fur, and sent him careening downward. Fox ran full speed and jumped at Diddy feet first to finish him off, but while falling, Diddy saw Fox and managed to let loose one last orange grenade, which replaced Fox's intended target. While Diddy thumped rather painfully but still consciously onto the cement ground, Fox's target exploded and sent him flying 20 feet higher, over Diddy, and landing unconsciously a dozen yards away.

**Quarterfinal Match #3: The Shadow vs. Luigi**

Luigi was astonished. He knew that the shadowy figure who had invited them to enter the tournament had also entered it himself, but it didn't occur to him that he might end up fighting it. Luigi was weary from the hammer duel of his last match, and was concerned as to what this opponent may have in store.

But instead of revealing itself like Luigi expected, The Shadow simply said, "You've come a long way, Luigi. What a long way to fall."

"Oh, but it a-won't be a-me who will be falling!" Luigi then bent his knees, put his hands in a fighting pose, and tipped his head forward, preparing to launch one of his famous Green Missiles.

The Shadow dodged aside effortlessly as Luigi sped forward through the spot where he had just been standing. The cloaked figure turned around to watch Luigi continue to zoom away from him. "You can do better than that, Luigi!" But the grin that had formed on The Shadow's hidden features faded as the Green Missile did a vertical U-turn in mid-air, reminiscent of the features of an Arwing.

Luigi sped right back at The Shadow, catching it by surprise. The Shadow barely escaped Luigi's fiery green fury by diving out of the way, but his cloak, noticed easily in the near-nighttime darkness, had caught fire. Green fire, to be precise. As Luigi maneuvered himself to go in for another Green Missile attack, The Shadow shook his brown cloak to put out the fire, but the stubborn flames persisted to eagerly eat it up. Meanwhile, Luigi's Green Missile had once again redirected itself and was once again speeding towards the mysterious advisor. The Shadow leaped high into the air as Luigi passed underneath, going much higher than Luigi had expected. In mid-air, the sizzling green cloaked figure drew out three large silver metal disks, and fired one after the other (rather wildly) at Luigi's flaming form.

The first disk dug harmlessly into the ground where Luigi had left a path of green flames, sticking out of the cement. The second sliced off the majority of Luigi's classic green hat, severing off the L and even part of Luigi's brown hair. The third one, _slightly_ misdirected, shot off into the audience, generating screams as a Lakitu's fishing line was cut and a Pianta's popcorn bucket was split in two, spilling popcorn onto the seats and sending the buttery substance flying into the air as the turquoise-skinned Pianta leaped out of his seat in fright, knocking down two Goombas sitting behind him in the process.

Luigi, tired of using his Green Missile, did a flat U-turn and began skidding on his stomach (rather painfully) towards the still-burning cloaked figure, which had by now landed back on the ground. All The Shadow saw was a fiery green mass approaching him at a highly dangerous and not recommended speed, but he knew it would not bode well for him to remain still. His cloak now burned more than halfway through, The Shadow fled at an equal speed on his white shoes, pursued by Luigi's unrelenting fiery skidding form.

It was quite a spectacle for the crowd to watch: a blurred black form being pursued rapidly by a flickering and flashing green plumber. Around and around the field they zoomed, Luigi leaving a dying trail of green flames in his wake. Finally, The Shadow was cornered in a small area near the wall with green fire barricading possible escape routes.

Luigi, furious and flashing, had but a blurred vision, but his heart rejoiced when he had finally trapped his secretive informer near the wall, and almost sightlessly sped into his opponent. Only it was too late when he realized that his opponent was no longer on that particular spot; all that lay there was The Shadow's burning cape. Before Luigi, unable to control his direction in time, slammed into the wall, he caught out of the corner of his eye the shape and identity of his conqueror with his color-distorted vision…

_Sonic?_

**Quarterfinal Match#4: Ganondorf vs. Sonic**

Sonic was full of energy, ready to fight even the toughest opponent. He was even in the mood to fight a legendary King of Evil, or perhaps a titanic monster or two.

Ganondorf, on the other hand, was still slightly weary from his excessive physical activity in his previous match. Sonic had been running much more, of course, but endurance running was what the hedgehog lived for. Ganondorf was made to sit upon a mighty throne and mercilessly strike down rebellions now and then, not for constant movement and relentless effort.

Sonic, seeing the sweat glinting on the Gerudo's dark forehead, was further encouraged by the notice of his opponent's tiredness. Without much pause, Sonic leaped into battle.

Ganondorf, who still possessed his gigantic sword glinting with dark energy and aching to strike something, had at least had several minutes to rest in between battles, so had plenty of energy to drive off Sonic's comparatively feeble jabs and kicks.

Sonic cried out in pain as the huge sword tipped against his shoulder, the tiny contact with the deadly sword singeing his blue fur. Sonic realized he needed a different strategy. Then he remembered one of his oldest but favorite tricks that almost never failed against ambitious opponents with deadly weapons. He suddenly turned and ran away from Ganondorf and near the ten foot high walls surrounding the colosseum. He jumped a few feet high, actually landing sideways on the wall, and began running across the wall, picking up speed each second. As he traveled round and round the field, he went faster and faster until a blue blur was all that could be seen by both Ganondorf and the crowd. It was especially hard to see since the sun had now completed its journey below the horizon, and hundreds of tiny stars sprouted in the deep blackness of the sky, even with the stadium lights now switched on, illuminating not much more than the back rows of the crowd, the box where Wario sat, and the center of the field.

Ganondorf unexpectedly laughed loud and hard. He knew of this strategy, even though he had never experienced it himself. The typically speedy opponent would run round and round, hoping to confuse and make the target dizzy, and then catch them off guard with a sudden blow. No doubt the hedgehog also hoped that he would hurl his sword at the wall and leave himself somewhat defenseless. Apparently what they said about teaching an old dog new tricks was true.

The Gerudo shoved his sword several inches into the cement ground, and then used his hands to amass his classic ball of writhing and crackling energy. He began chucking several of these balls at random spots along the walls, hoping to either hit his elusive opponent (unlikely) or trip him up with the gaps created by his magical attacks (more likely).

Inevitably, Sonic found these attacks an unexpected problem. When a certain ball of energy shot towards the spot he would be a fraction of a second later, Sonic halted, falling back to the ground after losing his speed. Sonic turned towards the center to see Ganondorf staring at him triumphantly and laughing, and then reach toward the giant sword stuck in the ground. This was his only chance. Sonic jumped back onto the wall, and this time leaped off of it in his opponent's direction, the momentum giving him immediate speed. At the moment when the evil king forced the sword out of the ground, Sonic landed a kick at the hilt of the sword, simultaneously smashing Ganondorf's hand and disarming him, sending the sword spinning and soaring towards the unfortunate portion of the crowd that was closest. The sword, glinting and flaring, produced yet another batch of screams from the crowd, and finally seared straight through the center of something, its contents flowing onto the seats and ground.

The same unlucky Pianta stared wide-eyed at the blade of the large sword halted an inch from his wobbly nose, ignoring the fact that his second 30 coin popcorn bucket had been split open. He then sidled sideways away from the sword, and pushed and shoved his way out of the colosseum, muttering something about karma and the Pianta Parlor in Rogueport.

It was at this point when the real fight ensued. Ganondorf's punches were heavier and more deadly, and Sonic's were swifter and lighter. Finally, Sonic jumped onto Ganondorf's chest and pushed away, sending the Gerudo toppling to the ground. Not wanting to allow the evil king to get back up, Sonic leaped high and pounded down upon Ganondorf's chest, cracking several ribs and knocking the wind out of the groaning figure.

…

_**During and After the Quarterfinals**_

Waluigi was exhausted. While Wario got to sit on his lazy bum and chomp down twelve buckets of popcorn, he, Waluigi, was stuck doing the dirty work (watching over the prisoners, pretending to care for the hospitalized competitors, keeping people out of the infirmary with his pathetically high-pitched fake voice, waiting for orders to turn someone into a trophy, etc.). He deserved at least one third of Wario's pay in addition to his own, but that matter could be dealt with later. Meanwhile, he had other matters to attend to.

Master Hand's personal messenger, a specially designed Female Wire Frame with bat-like wings exactly the same purple pattern as the rest of her body, had landed in the long dark alley behind the colosseum where Waluigi had been told to periodically check for messages. Since neither Wire Frames nor Metal characters had the ability of speech, it simply handed him an envelope sealed with one of Master Hand's white glove stickers, and flew away swiftly and stealthily with no sound except the beating of its wings.

Waluigi ripped open the envelope and removed the single piece of paper enclosed inside it. Usually reading the message in a bored manner and mechanically reentering the building to carry out its instructions, after reading this exceptionally brief message, Waluigi was stunned.

_Change of plans. Not just the original 25 and finalists. __**Every**__ competitor. Retrieve those who have already left if possible. Begin immediately._

_Well, better get started_, Waluigi thought.

The Shadow Sirens had had no choice but to leave their companions before they were captured. If they had, their enemies would surely have found a way to keep them from disappearing. But still their consciences weighed upon them as they reappeared out of the ground a good distance away from the colosseum, staring back at it, and ignoring the nighttime clamor of the city around them. Now that they had separated from the group, they had no perceivable way of locating them without storming through the colosseum, which could not end well. Perhaps if they were lucky, their friends had really been ejected like Wario said, but somehow they doubted it.

Vivian, the sweetest and most charming of the three, was especially crushed. For a few precious minutes she had been reunited with her longtime friend Mario, who she secretly had a deeper liking for, but had banished it from her mind, knowing Mario and Princess Peach were destined to be together. But now that thought had reawakened with his reappearance, and she was not ready to cast the opportunity of his presence aside so easily.

"Sisters, we need to help Mario and the others!"

Beldam, although changed from her evil ways, still had a skeptical and accusatory tone. "Why? There is nothing in this for us, and I don't see how we _can_ help them if they are stuck in there. I suggest we hitch the nearest ship to the Sony Kingdom and leave this doomed world to be crushed under Master Hand's dominating rule, and forget this stupid affair." Evidently Beldam's personal therapist wasn't making much progress in the selfishness category.

"SISTERS!" Vivian yelled threateningly. "May I remind you that if it wasn't for Mario, we would be subject to our terrible aunt the Shadow Queen?"

"Well, that wouldn't have been that―" Marilyn began to point out (Marilyn's personal tutor focused primarily on teaching her to speak properly, and had worked wonders on her).

"_**SISTERS!**_ Regardless of what you thought of her, may I also bring to your attention that the Master Hand's greed will not be satisfied by this chunk of earth and a few puny planets? If we leave Master Hand to conquer this world, we will by no means be safe in the Sony World either! We must help our friends and assist them in redeeming this world from a terrible threat! Now let's see how well they're guarding this place…" Evidently Vivian's personal therapist _had_ made progress in the assertiveness and standing-up-for-oneself categories.

So the Shadow Sirens slunk smoothly and silently (try saying that five times fast) towards the Fourside Colosseum, and after eventually locating a spot where they could see the front entrance unseen, found the security system pitifully lacking, eventually reaching the door to a lobby and using their unique abilities to creep inside. By the time they entered the lobby the Quarterfinals had just barely ended, but the trouble was, they were not in the lobby of Sonic and Diddy Kong, but where the other two remaining finalists resided.

* * *

**Reviews are now not only appreciated, but requested. At this point I'd like any constructive criticism or anything else readers have to throw at me. Thanks in advance! :D**

**…though if you don't review it, I take my thanks back. :P**

Character Locations

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario, Bomberman, Chunky Kong

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Roy, Samus, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Captain Falcon, Luigi, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Waluigi?

**Fourside City (Holding Cell): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**?:** The Shadow Sirens

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus


	14. Chapter 10:2: The Semifinals

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Stars**

**{2} The Semifinals**

_**Meanwhile…**_

The thirteen occupants of the large impenetrable cell were growing bored and hopeless. The activities of each character were as follows: Falco, Pit, Banjo, and Kazooie were all asleep either on the floor or against the wall. The Rito Postman was talking with Link about recent major events in the Great Sea, including the growth of dozens of new trees across the islands, the expansion of Zunari's shop, and the attacks of a vicious gigantic 20-eyed Big Octorok. Goombario and Meta Knight were sitting on the stone bench, Meta Knight meditating with his eyes closed, and Goombario staring at the ground thinking glumly about his girlfriend Goombella. Nana was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself and shouting sudden curses at Master Hand and the cruel world. Finally, Zelda, Professor E. Gadd, Bottles, and Mario were still watching out the barred window, for although most had lost interest in the room beyond, this room did not remain dormant.

Every now and then Waluigi came down into the room carrying or dragging an unconscious figure to the chair by the machine and transforming it into a rigid trophy. So far, Chunky, Birdo, and Darknut had been victims of the whirring and the blinding white flash and the obvious results. When the first after Samus, Chunky, had been brought down, Mario had attempted to speak with Waluigi.

"Waluigi, what are you a-doing?" he shouted. Waluigi turned to him with a look of utter annoyance.

"Shut up! I'm in it for the money, and I don't know nothin'! Be quiet or you'll be next!" After that, Waluigi turned back to his work and ignored all other protests.

Yes, things were looking bad for Mario and his twelve cellmates. And their only five hopes of being rescued were all in the two competitor lobbies, unaware of where the prisoners were. Four of these hopes would soon be dashed.

…

_**Back in Lobby #1…**_

"What is that?" The Shadow Sirens were stunned still as they took in the sight of the lobby around them. It was a pretty typical competitor's quarters, with several benches, a couple small beds, and a number of lockers each with a Roman numeral from 1-32 on it. In one of the beds the covers were drawn over a small sleeping figure, most likely a fighter weary from its last battle. But the center of attention was, well, in the center.

A large purple mass of floating energy identical to that of the late Shadow Queen's, but without any particular shape. At the sound of the Shadow Sirens' arrival, it molded itself into a roughly human shape, the place where the face and eyes would be facing the three intruders.

"My masters do not wish me to reveal that information," a deep faintly feminine voice boomed. And with that, the purple energy suddenly flew apart and engulfed the Shadow Sirens, unable to drag them belowground, but instead pressurizing them to unconsciousness and trapping their substances in itself. It burped loudly.

…

**Semifinals**

**Semifinal Match#1: The Shadow Queen vs. Diddy Kong**

The crowd had more influence on this match than any other. Most of the congregation was still cheering for Diddy, but no one could see after all the other worthy (and non-worthy) attempts to defeat the Shadow Queen had failed, how Diddy Kong could possibly pull off a victory in this intense situation. But there was one Diddy fan among the crowd who more than cheered for Diddy; she was his girlfriend.

Dixie Kong had left the Kongo Jungle soon after she learned that Diddy had left with his siblings and some other strange characters. Since Diddy was busy, she decided to come and watch the famous Fourside Colosseum Tournament in the city. Imagine her surprise when she sees her beloved companion fighting in the very tournament she had gone to see in his absence and watches as he fights his way admirably to the Semifinals. She was cheering probably louder than anyone else each time Diddy won, but her voice was drowned out by the thousands of other watchers.

Dixie had also witnessed the terrible power of the one who called itself the Shadow Queen, and when this battle was about to commence, she was immensely concerned about Diddy.

As she checked in at the Grande Snifit's Hotel, Dixie found a strange metal device under the bed in her room, which she soon recognized as a Cloaking device (as well as some crumbs undoubtedly left by some TV-watching bum). She had taken the device with her to the colosseum, not knowing particularly why. But now she had realized what this Cloaking device was meant to be used for.

"Diddy! Here!" Diddy Kong looked up high in the stands and was surprised to see his girlfriend Dixie in the stands, shouting and waving to him, but also pointing at something falling through the air in from of him. As soon as he recognized the Cloaking device, he ran up to it, snatched it, and activated it right before the match began.

The crowd cheered when they saw Diddy's recent advantage acquisition, and the purple hand began rotating itself left and right, searching for him in vain.

The Cloaking device did not make him completely invisible, instead making him a transparent blurred figure, but with the complexity of the crowd's number, the Shadow Queen could not locate Diddy's now-running form.

Diddy began by jabbing the hand with quick jabs and kicks, but they seemed to have no affect, and put him in extreme danger of being found. So Diddy reverted to using his last ten orange grenades in quick succession. Each exploded at contact with the hand's form, making the Shadow Queen flinch and pull back its hand, giving low cries of pain.

But the tenth orange was caught in midair by the hand, somehow not setting off, and was hurled back at the spot where Diddy was still crouching after launching the grenades. Diddy cried out in agony as the orange blew up and sent him soaring (still almost invisibly) into the wall, then slid down onto the ground and remained motionless.

Dixie called out tearfully to Diddy for him to get back up.

"The Shadow Queen―" Wario began, but at that moment the flickering primate leaped to his feet and charged at the unsuspecting purple hand. Without his jetpack and guitar (the guitar was broken along with his jetpack in Diddy's previous match), and no peanuts or orange grenades remaining, Diddy really had no choice other than forfeit than to attack the Shadow Queen directly. It had to have a weak spot. It just had to.

But Diddy was not the one destined to find it. As Diddy did a cartwheel and jumped over the hand to do a ground pound, the Shadow Queen caught him mid-leap in its powerful grip.

Diddy, knowing what the Shadow Queen had done to previous opponents, expected to be dragged belowground and off to some dark abyss. But instead, the hand just slammed the chimp hard on the other side of the ground, leaving Sonic as the last remaining hope.

**Semifinal Match#2: The Shadow vs. Sonic**

Sonic was highly disconcerted by the lack of friends remaining in this tournament. Both of his opponents had the word Shadow in the name, which couldn't possibly be a good thing. He hoped to win this tournament and gain the weapon that could defeat Master Hand that Luigi had wanted. But now that he was alone in this endeavor, he would have to rely on his own will, endurance, and wit to leave this colosseum victorious.

But nothing could prepare him for the shock he experienced when he entered the arena and saw his opponent.

The Shadow. His cloak hade been destroyed, so nothing shielded his true identity from the eyes of him and the crowd. Luigi had seen the silhouette of Sonic as his defeat was nigh, but in reality, he was, of course, not Sonic. His real name was not _The_ Shadow. It was simply Shadow.

Shadow, Sonic's strong but unstable friend. He had the exact outline of Sonic, but had black fur with red streaks and white boots. His eyes were lit with a fiery spark that signaled intense trials and suffering, as well as a deep energy that he kept at bay within himself. Sonic, however, did not notice this spark at first.

Sonic had believed him to still be stuck in the Microsoft World, but evidently he had been among one of the escapees who had come after he himself had. He had been here the entire time, knowing Sonic for who he was, but not the other way around. Why would he conceal himself like this?

Now remember that unlike you, Sonic had no idea that The Shadow, now known as Shadow, was in cohorts with Master Hand, and still planned to help carry out Master Hand's world invasion.

"Shadow! What are you doing here? How long has it been since you escaped the Microsoft World? Why have you remained in hiding for so long? It's so good to see you!" Even though they were supposed to be fighting, Sonic couldn't help but smile as he recognized his old friend.

Shadow, however, retained an impassive frown, and walked toward Sonic until they were in reasonable conversation distance.

"Sonic. I must admit I didn't expect you to come here; I suppose the allure of the false grand prize must have been too strong for you to resist."

Sonic blinked in astonishment. "_Fake?_ Do you mean there is no weapon of great power to be given to the winner?"

Shadow's expression remained indifferent to the tone of the discussion. "Correct. It was a rumor started to lure competitors into the tournament. Same with the 1,000 coin reward, as it happens."

"But you knew all this? What is going on, my old friend?"

And for the first time, a small sad smile appeared on Shadow's face "Why, I thought you would have guessed the truth by now, my dear friend."

At this, the two hedgehogs began circling around each other. The mood became a notch less friendly. "What truth?"

The crowd patiently watched Sonic and Shadow talk to each other; those few who could hear what was being said were listening with rapt attention.

"I, along with the entire organization staff of this tournament and many others, am in service to the mighty Master Hand. He sent us to bring fighters into the tournament, as many as possible from the Original 25, and add the finalists as well as any of the Original 25 to his collection. Well…actually now for some reason he wants all the competitors. But there it is."

This bite of information was too much for Sonic to swallow. He did not bother asking what the Original 25 were. "What? Shadow, you must be joking! Master Hand plans to conquer the entire world, and subject it to his evil forces. Tell me you're just getting me psyched up for the fight."

But Shadow's sad smile did not waver. "I'm afraid it is true, Sonic. You see, while some of Master Hand's methods may be…not preferable, his ideals in the category of world unity are ingenious. Master Hand's victory is inevitable; his force amounts to not just tens or hundreds of thousands, but millions. And with his army in charge, the Sony and Microsoft Worlds would soon become part of his rule. Things could be like days of old, in the sense that we could once again freely travel between worlds. Sonic, Knuckles and Tails came partway with me when I escaped the Microsoft World two years ago, but were overwhelmed by Microsoft's force. Once Master Hand is our leader, we can be with all of our friends from the old days. To me, that is worth much more than a few pathetic companions. So what do you say to a nice fair fight, and then we can enjoy a big reunion with everyone together?"

Shadow's smile was now friendlier, bringing memories to the brain behind Sonic's watering eyes of countless adventures and misadventures with his friends. For one small, fleeting moment he considered what it would be like to let Master Hand take over and be with all of his old friends again. _We could once again freely travel between worlds._ But Sonic's moral center was stronger than his desires, and he knew he could not accept this plan.

"Shadow, what has happened to you? I know you have good intentions, but how could you be so selfish? You're wrong. Friendship is more valuable than victory. A lifelong friendship, in itself, is the ultimate victory. I think deep down you know that Master Hand could not be trusted to give us that much freedom if he were in control. You have been corrupted by greed and false hope. You must leave this idea behind, seek forgiveness of those you have harmed, and aid me in the quest to _defeat_ Master Hand, not _support_ him."

At Sonic's words, Shadow's smile immediately disappeared into a frown, his eyes now blazing with contempt. "So. You refuse. That is that, then." Suddenly he leaped forward and kicked Sonic several feet away onto the ground.

Sonic tearfully got up. He did not want to fight Shadow anymore. But with the knowledge he now had, he was obliged to do what must be done.

And so the Nintendo-version Battle of the Heroes commenced. Both hedgehogs were very equally matched. Both moved with great speed and agility. Both took many hits in many areas. But Sonic, driven by mixed despair and determination, came out wearily and grimly victorious, tears streaming from his eyes as he gazed at Shadow's beaten but stubborn features.

…

_**During and After Semifinals**_

Bowser was still furious. Most of the matches he didn't care about at all, but the defeat of his eighth son had deeply shaken him. He worried where Jr. was, and if he was safe. In any case, even if he did get an opportunity, it would most likely not be worth asking the Shadow Queen where he was. What he really cared about now was the Shadow Queen's defeat. He had an extreme dislike for any being that had harmed any of his children, no matter what the circumstances were (Example: Mario). After Diddy and Shadow's defeat, he was now full-on cheering for Sonic, even though deep down he knew that Sonic did not stand a chance. No matter what strategy, trick, or advantage the Shadow Queen's opponents had or used, it did not work. How could a blue hedgehog with no extraordinary talent except running and defying gravity possibly find a way to come out victorious this time?

And there was another thing. Before the Semifinals began, the two competitors who had sat near him, Chunky Kong and Bomberman, had been called to the infirmary along with all the other competitors who had joined the stands. This almost certainly confirmed Bowser's suspicions that something strange was going on. But unfortunately, the audience was still not allowed to do anything other than sit and watch or leave the colosseum completely. Leaving would profit Bowser nothing, as the hallways leading to the lobbies and the infirmary were guarded at every door or entrance (of course, the guards were not a physical problem, but Bowser did not want to cause a ruckus). So he decided that as soon as the tournament ended, he would march down to the hallway and demand to enter the infirmary, with force if needed. This strategy could possibly have partially worked, but it did not turn out to be necessary.

* * *

Reviews wanted!

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Roy, Samus, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Captain Falcon, Luigi, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Waluigi, Bomberman, Diddy Kong, Shadow

**Fourside City (Holding Cell): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**?:** The Shadow Sirens

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong


	15. Chapter 10:3: The Final Match

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Stars**

**{3} The Final Match**

_**Outskirts of Northern Fourside City**_

The gate was in ruins. Buildings were burning in the starless night. People and creatures were screaming and fleeing. Chaos resounded throughout the outside area of the city. Crazy Hand's army surged through the city, destroying anything and everything in its way. Some desperate citizens were attempting to fend off the Wire Frames, but it was hopeless. With Metal Marth, Roy, Pikachu, Fox, and Ice Climbers as well as Crazy Hand at the lead, the meager resistance was swept away on all sides like dust on a table. A few cowering people noticed that the army was making a direct course for Fourside Colosseum. But regardless of the direction they were going, everything left behind was empty and destroyed.

Professor Frankly's house was included in the attack. The professor in question was currently taking cover in the basement of a hotel with a handful of others. But frankly, Frankly could not figure out why the army had suddenly attacked now, or why the force was headed towards Fourside Colosseum. He worked over the facts studiously in his mind. Some outer territories had been struggling against Master Hand for several years, but Master Hand had not yet attacked an area on the mainland, which would obviously be the most difficult to conquer due to the denser populations. He also knew that today was the day of the Fourside Colosseum Tournament. Perhaps there was a connection.

Professor Frankly temporarily gave up on figuring out the situation, and turned his mind to an equally interesting matter.

The Wire Frames had been known for many years to only resemble the simple forms of male and female. But now they came in with a variety of other features besides gender, which was unheard of in the history of the world. Many had wings, claws, horns, spikes, swords, larger limbs, and many other characteristics. They also moved and fought in new ways as well, including running, leaping, flying, crawling, dashing, spinning, slashing, diving, charging, shoving, and others. It was as if the two original types of frames had had extra pieces added on to most of them to make them different.

Well, that was _pretty_ much the truth.

…

_**THE FINAL MATCH:**_** The Shadow Queen vs. Sonic**

After reading all 62 of the other matches of this tournament, you probably expect the final match to be the longest, hardest, and closest battle of them all. You also most likely predict that Sonic will finally discover the Shadow Queen's weakness, and that he will use it to end the dark entity's reign of terror. You might even hope that Sonic would then save all of the trapped characters in and under the infirmary, defeat Waluigi and Wario, and gather a considerable force to fight Crazy Hand's army, thus beginning a long and devastating battle in which Sonic's troops would obviously come out victorious. Then, you might think in an annoyed and all-knowing way, all the Nintendo characters would team up, defeat Master Hand by a close call, thereby turning all of the trophies back to their live states, and they would all live happily ever after. Yes, The Trophies would turn out to be a lame and predictable amateur story after all, no offense to the not-so-creative author. Well, if this is even close to your way of thinking, then it is now my turn to laugh at _your_ lack of creativity. First of all, only two of all of the events I listed above actually happened, and not in the ways you might expect. And secondly, if you indeed think the way I think you think, this is all much more complicated than you think it is (think about it).

The reader's lack of creativity aside, Sonic himself truly had no idea how he would face this final opponent. He was already very tired from all of his previous battles, especially the one with Shadow, from which he had been cut, scratched, bruised, and had most of his energy sapped away from him. This really was a flaw in the Fourside Colosseum Tournament system― competitors often did not have enough time to fully recover from their previous battles, depending on the level of difficulty of their previous matches. But to most of the competitors, this was not the problem with tournament they should be worried about.

The audience, after witnessing all the other failed attempts to defeat the Shadow Queen, did not have much hope for Sonic, despite his outstanding performance so far. In fact, some of the crowd was already leaving the colosseum, declaring the winner of the tournament basically decided. Oh, how they would wish they hadn't done this later.

Sonic looked through the crowd, looking for a source of hope and motivation. Then he saw a single row near the top of the stands with a bunch of cutesy characters and Pokemon, and among them, sticking out like a sore thumb, was Bowser. Sonic got eye contact with him from across the stadium, and the great Koopa gave the blue hedgehog a great big thumbs up (as well as he could do with claws that didn't have thumbs). For Bowser, that was a huge compliment. Sonic cheered up a little. Perhaps it would not be so bad. Sure, he would lose painfully to the frightening purple hand in front of him now, but at least he could feel assured that Bowser would make sure he and the other competitors made it out okay, and expose the sinister plot composed into this tournament. It was at this point, when the match began, the crowd unenthusiastically cheering for Sonic, the Shadow Queen making mocking hand gestures, that two fateful things happened.

First, Bowser began to lose his temper at the Shadow Queen again.

Second, Sonic's brain began to think logically enough to wonder what on earth the monstrosity known as the Shadow Queen was. Since Sonic was among those who had heard the story of the Shadow Queen's defeat from Mario firsthand, he knew for a fact that there really was no possible way for the old demon to find a way back this time. She had avoided death from age by remaining in pure energy form, but when something is destroyed, it is destroyed. So what was the truth of this "Shadow Queen"? Then a crazy though came to Sonic.

Perhaps the only way to find out was to ask it himself.

So crazy it just might work.

"What are you? I know you are not really the Shadow Queen. Tell me the truth!" Sonic glared at the purple hand, and the purple hand seemed to glare back (as far as anyone could tell).

"My masters do not wish me to reveal that information." The deep, booming, faintly feminine voice echoed throughout the stadium.

Sonic was about to give up on his attempt, but then he noticed the abnormality of the Shadow Queen's only words.

"Tell me," Sonic's voice said, regaining some strength. "What do you mean by 'masters'? How can you have more than one master?"

For the first time, the purple hand hesitated, as if she herself had never considered the logic behind what she had said. Its voice sounded out again, but now it was a lot less mechanical, even sincere. "Well, the master I serve directly has a master himself, and so on. So by serving my initial master, I really serve all of his masters, do I not? After all, no one can have no master, for if one does not serve another, one is his own master."

The Shadow Queen's words echoed through Sonic's mind, as if there were some deeper meaning in them that was yet to be understood. _If one does not serve another, one is his own master._ "Regardless, no one can serve two masters equally," Sonic said quietly. But then he realized they were getting off topic. "So, 'Shadow Queen', who is your _initial_ master?"

The purple hand seemed to consider whether her opponent was worthy of an answer. Then she said, "Very well, since you fought a long way to make it here, and you will soon fall victim to my masters' plan anyway, I shall tell you the name of the one I serve primarily. His name is: Professor U. Reeka."

Sonic was shocked by this, for he had been almost sure that the Shadow Queen would say Master Hand. And although he had never heard of this person, the name reminded him of another professor with a title that had the same effect. But this still did not satisfy Sonic.

"You have still not answered my first question. What are you, since you are neither the Shadow Queen nor a simple Floormaster?"

The Shadow Queen seemed to reply more willingly, now that she had already spilled the beans of her master's identity. "I am both of the creatures you mentioned, in a sense. Some time ago, Professor U. Reeka captured a Floormaster, and later somehow fused it together with a small portion of the late Shadow Queen's shredded essence. He created me, and made me his loyal servant to accomplish his and Master Hand's desires."

The purple hand waited for Sonic to respond, but he did not say anything, as engorged with information as he was. From what he had learned, though, he knew that if this experiment had had a choice, she would not have chosen this fate for herself. So the Shadow Queen spoke once again.

"But that is quite enough. Now I shall defeat you and thereby help bring to pass the next step of Master Hand's ultimate plan of conquest. Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog."

The purple arm, extending from its dark purple circle, prepared to lunge forward and attack. Sonic prepared to attempt to dodge her attack. But at this moment, something happened that not one character in the stadium could have predicted.

Bowser's patience failed him. He could not stand to watch the last friendly face in the tournament be defeated by a purple hand. He gave a mighty roar, and suddenly leaped out of his seat, jumping high into the air across the stands. The audience cried in alarm at the mighty Koopa's sudden move. Both Sonic and the Shadow Queen looked up in surprise at Bowser's now-falling figure.

Bowser had intended, for all intents and purposes, to land on the purple hand at all costs. But he fell just a few feet short, shaking the whole stadium as he landed next to Sonic.

This happened to be a very good thing. For during the entire tournament, not one instance had caused the hidden flip panel (like in Paper Mario) to reveal itself. This flip panel happened to be directly beneath the Shadow Queen at this moment.

A simple ground pound would have been enough to make the flip panel come up a few feet, but with the force of Bowser's hulking mass, the flip panel, along with the purple hand, was sent flying high into the air. Due to some flaw in Professor U. Reeka's experimenting, the purple circle around the Shadow Queen's arm seemed to stick to the flap like a suction cup. But at the height of the purple hand's journey, the flip panel dislodged itself from the Shadow Queen's form, and each thing fell separately (and painfully in the Shadow Queen's case) to the ground.

This was a moment of revelation. Where the flip panel was previously sticking to the Shadow Queen's circular underside was a circle of shiny white area. And as all Zelda/Star Fox game players know, the shiny white areas usually signify the weak point.

Bowser realized this, and before the pancake-flipped arm could attempt to lift itself upright, he let out a heavy stream of fire towards the white underside.

The Shadow Queen screamed in agony, the hand writhing on the ground. This seemed to confirm Bowser's assumption. Forgetting the rules against killing (although he had already disregarded the rules in any case), Bowser then jumped forward and slashed the white spot ruthlessly with his mighty claw.

Sonic, Bowser, and the crowd watched wide-eyed as Professor U. Reeka's creation, instead of exploding or disintegrating or something to that effect, simply disappeared in a large puff of purple smoke in the same way that the robotic aircraft in Chapter 4 had.

Bowser and Sonic looked at each other and exchanged triumphant smiles, although both were weary.

The whole crowd, especially Wario, was unsure what to do. Should they cheer at the Shadow Queen's defeat, or boo angrily at Bowser for interfering, or do something else? It didn't matter in any case, because before they could decide, another infinitely more deadly interference occurred.

* * *

Reviews wanted!

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Colosseum):** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, Bowser, Sonic, Wario

**Fourside City (Infirmary):** Yoshi, Roy, Samus, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Captain Falcon, Luigi, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Waluigi, Bomberman, Diddy Kong, Shadow

**Fourside City (Holding Cell): **Zelda, Link, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Mario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Rito Postman

**?:** The Shadow Sirens

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong


	16. Chapter 10:4: The Storm

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Stars**

**{4} The Storm**

It started with the storm. Even though it was a starless and moonless night, the lights from the stadium revealed angry purple clouds sweeping across the black sky, tingeing it a dark violet hue. They moved incredibly fast, soon catching the attention of the nonplussed crowd. In a matter of seconds, the sky overhead was completely covered with the restless clouds, and then it began to rain.

This rain wouldn't have been more than a nuisance if it weren't a sickly purple color and extremely acidic in nature. In fact, it was so acidic that in approximately thirty seconds the circular ring-shaped cover over the crowds had been breached by the acid rain through disintegration. The rain was pounding fairly heavily onto all surfaces, gradually melting away everything within its reach.

The third element of the storm was the thunder and lightning. This part, at least, was not purple, but flashing white as was normal. But the buildings of Fourside City were very tall in general, and the raging lightning almost immediately caused several buildings throughout the city to catch fire. The booming thunder simply added to the confusion.

Naturally, the audience reacted by panicking, screaming, and fleeing from the colosseum, along with everyone else inside who noticed or were able (Wario and Waluigi, however, did not leave, but joined together in the top box and looked startled at the sudden horrifying change of weather). Luckily, the majority of the crowd had been prepared with an umbrella, hood, or some other kind of cover, so despite their distraught moods, they could consider themselves relatively safe from the acid rain if they hurried inside their homes.

Sonic and Bowser, exposed to the rain in the center of the field, knew by instinct that this was no natural weather, and that it would be followed up with something worse, so even though the acid rain was fairly painful, they stayed where they were to see what would happen next.

If the terror had ended here, there might have been a next-to-zero casualty rate, and life might have resumed relatively normally the next day. But the storm, unfortunately, only signified the entrance of one of the Nintendo World's prime villains.

Over the disintegrated cover and the wide open sky in the middle of the colosseum, a familiar pickup truck-sized hand levitated into view, white-gloved as ever. Crazy Hand was, as usual, laughing uncontrollably in a manic voice that mimicked Master Hand's, and constantly curving his fingers in and out. These features were what signified to anyone who was still watching that it was indeed Crazy Hand, along with the fact that Crazy hand's thumb was on the right side, since he was the notorious left hand.

Crazy Hand, laughing nonstop, seemed unaffected by the acid rain, and once he was a portion into the open area, he pointed his index finger (thankfully) at the field, and a beam of blue light shot out.

Sonic and Bowser dived forward, but it was not necessary since they did not appear to be Crazy Hand's target. They gazed at the gloved hand and where its beam had struck, and saw that it was tracing some kind of large polygonal pattern around the field, sometimes just a curved line, sometimes a steep curved zigzag pattern.

"Sonic, we need to get out of here," Bowser growled. "Whatever Crazy Hand is doing, it can't be good." But Sonic was still staring at Crazy Hand, mesmerized, almost dreamily.

"Do you think Crazy Hand serves Master Hand or works alongside him?" Sonic was so calm that you would think they were just watching a movie at the theatre.

"Sonic, now is not the time for random speculation! We have to go to the infirmary and―"

But Crazy Hand had now finished drawing his burnt pattern around them, and it only took a quick look from Bowser to identify it. A hand. Duh.

But instead of just being a normal burnt-out hand shape, the interior began to glow a dangerous white.

"Sonic!"

Sonic snapped out of his trance, and suddenly realized that there was actually something dangerous happening. He saw the glowing ground, growing brighter and brighter, and looking at the wide perimeter of the traced hand, knew it was time to stop daydreaming.

Sonic realized Bowser would be too slow to make it, so he stepped back a couple feet and slammed feet-first into Bowser's vulnerable underside after saying, "Save Shadow and the others. Save the Nintendo World. Maybe I'll see you again."

After hearing this and understanding the implications of Sonic's words, Bowser protested, "Wait, no**, **_**SONIC!**__"_ But as he said the blue hedgehog's name, the force of Sonic's slam hurled him out of the white hand, landing heavily on his belly. Bowser quickly got up and turned around. Sonic was beginning to run toward him, but the white glow grew blindingly bright, ending in a colossal white flash when Sonic was just a few yards away. Bowser closed his eyes and braced himself for Sonic's impact, but it did not come. He opened his eyes. The flash had subsided. Chaos still echoed around him. Crazy Hand was gone. Sonic was exactly where he was when the flash occurred. But he was standing on a yellow-orange disk with the Super Smash Bros. symbol on it.

…

Bowser was not the only one to remain in the stadium. A single row, the one Bowser had previously been sitting in, was still occupied, the occupants consisting of Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, and Dixie Kong. All of them had thought similarly to Sonic and Bowser, and had decided to stay to see what Crazy Hand did. After Sonic was solidified, they gasped, ran down the stands, and jumped down the wall onto the field.

"Bowser! We've got to go to the infirmary!" Toad called. The said creature was still in shock, but after hearing Toad's voice he snapped out of it and snarled in agreement. Together they ran into the nearest lobby, then into the hallway, and found the infirmary door wide open.

…

Even Wario and Waluigi had fled at Crazy Hand's appearance, fearing for their own welfare. This had not been part of the plan; their shady employer had just said that they were to keep people out of the infirmary at all costs and follow Master Hand's instructions for transforming competitors into trophies. He had mentioned nothing about the city being attacked by Crazy Hand at the end.

But too greedy to leave their wealth behind, they rushed to their hotel (which happened to be empty) and dashed up the stairs to their room on the second floor.

Waluigi, who was always faster than Wario, shoved his key into the door and twisted, panting, and wrenched the door open. They dashed inside and slammed their door shut behind them, locking it. Through their window they could see buildings burning and purple figures dashing through the city streets and leaping across rooftops, some carrying torches.

But their attention wasn't focused towards the chaos outside, but at the two mustachioed intruders in their room.

…

Bowser and crew found the infirmary brimming with sleeping occupants. Not one of them were even stirring; if it weren't for the screams and crashes coming from outside, it would have been silent except for the sound of breathing. There were two rows of beds lined against the walls on either side; each bed was identical, but the patients varied from the size of a Goomba to a Charizard. The room had pure white tiled floors, walls, and ceiling, and went down at least as far as the length of three lobbies. At the very end was some sort of reception desk with papers cluttered on it, but on the desk was also a jug full of a suspicious clear liquid, and next to it was a translucent rectangular plastic container full of syringes. As they hurried down the infirmary, not bothering to close the door behind them, they began to put the picture together.

Someone was in this room during the tournament, and was using the liquid and syringes to keep all the fallen competitors constantly asleep, instead of allowing them to wake up and leave. The purpose for this? They about to find out.

"Pi-Pichu-Pi!" Pichu cried out to the others, which meant something alone the lines of, "Look, I've found a hatch at the end of the room!" Although most others could not understand the words, they got the point that Pichu had something to show them. Everyone gathered around the metal hatch that contrasted drastically with the white room, and without further ado, Bowser clenched the handle with one of his claws and wrenched it open.

This revealed a small staircase leading down beneath the infirmary. Single file, they went down the low stairway and opened the steel door at the end to reveal― well, you know.

…

At first Wario and Waluigi thought it was Mario and Luigi. The mustaches, the overalls, the caps with symbols on them: it was all there. But everything else was completely different. One of them was about seven feet tall, wore orange overalls, and wore a blue shirt and cap with the letters M and U intersecting, similar to the initials of a football team. His body was beefy like Wario's, but much more― there's no other word for it― muscular. His face was thinner than Wario's and thicker than Waluigi's, and he had a jagged mustache that was very thin, about as thin as an actual wire. The other figure, by contrast, was the same height as Mario, but almost as thin as Waluigi. He wore yellow overalls and a brown shirt and cap with the letter L rotated 90° counterclockwise on it. His face was fairly similar to Mario's. However, his mustache was thick in the middle and thinner at the ends, which both curled inward and made him appear― there's no other word for it― fancy. Both mustachioed figures wore brown shoes and white gloves, same as the other –ario's and –uigi's.

Both of them were staring back at Wario and Waluigi, arms folded, the tall one with a wild, greedy expression, and the other with a calm, cheerful smile. The shorter one spoke first, his voice the same pitch as Mario's, but with more of an English accent.

"Dear me, what have we here? Two greedy cowards, abandoning their city, but unwilling to abandon their shiny riches. What a night, what a night, I tell you! Such rash people in this city, I must say. Daring enough to oppose Crazy Hand, and all for naught! Indeed, a little manners under his control would do these folks some good, don't you think?"

Wario was so shocked by such a random newcomer that all he could do was shakily stammer, "Who…w-who are you?"

The fancy mustachioed intruder spoke again. "Oh! My apologies, Wario, my good sir!" He tipped his brown hat in a mocking gesture. "My companion and I seem to have forgotten our own manners! I am Lario (rhymes with Mario), and my associate here is Mauluigi (rhymes with Waluigi). We have entered this world but recently, and have sided with the stronger side. From what we've heard, you and good Waluigi here are also in service to our great leader, Master Hand."

At this, Wario and Waluigi relaxed, hearing that they seemed to be on the same side.

"Unfortunately," Lario continued (Wario and Waluigi snapped back into attention, fear drifting back into them), "it seems that Master Hand is no longer in need of your services. So he has sent us, Mauluigi and me, to replace you."

At this, Wario and Waluigi began to sidle towards the locked door, but one low Wario-ish growl from Mauluigi sent them swiftly back to their original positions.

Lario cleared his throat. "But cheer up, lads! There is some good news! Master Hand has decided you are worthy of his grand collection, and has also sent us to make you part of it."

Waluigi gulped. "C-collection?"

Lario nodded in a friendly way and smiled even wider. "Correct! Now this shouldn't hurt a bit…" he nodded to Mauluigi, who took out a remote with a big red button on it and pressed it.

Wario and Waluigi cried out and looked at the shining outlines below their feet, both the shapes of hands. Their last thought before the white flash was of what would become of their money.

…

As Bowser, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, and Dixie Kong entered the sleek black room under the infirmary, they stopped and took in the sight in amazement. First they saw the complicated machine in the middle, and then they noticed the life-sized trophies crowded in the corner (including Samus, Chunky Kong, Birdo, Darknut, Megaman, Andrew Oikonny, Ridley, and lastly― Captain Falcon). But they did not notice the steel door and barred window in the far wall until someone called, "Over here!"

Instantly they hurriedly crossed the room to where they could see through the barred window several faces looking out at them.

"Mario! What are you doing here?" Bowser and the others had been in a position where they could not easily see the box where Wario was, so they had not been aware of those who were with Bottles when they arrived.

Bottles answered for him. "We've been here ever since I tried to get the crowd's attention! I'm not sure what's going on here, but we need to get out and warn the city about Master Hand!"

Bowser laughed. "Too late for that! Crazy Hand's army is rampaging around us as we speak!"

The occupants in the cell gasped. "Well, in that case," Zelda said, "we need to help drive them away. Please, let us out of here!"

"I'm not sure you quite understand," Bowser said as Pichu inspected the lock on the doorknob on their side. "There are _hundreds_ or even _thousands_ of weird-looking Wire Frames out there, not to mention Crazy Hand and a few metal characters. We need a plan to _escape_. This city is doomed." Pichu then started using his tail to pick the lock.

"Regardless," Bottles replied, "if Fourside falls, Crazy Hand will not want to stop. We will be chased to the east coast and end up cornered if we flee now. These Wire Frames are not that smart. Perhaps we can enlist in some help. I don't think we need to worry about the tournament conspiracy anymore, because this is it. I propose we split up and search for assistance. A couple of us could stay here and ask any conscious competitors to fight as well. So what do you say? Teammates?"

Pichu finished picking the lock, and Bottles pushed the door open and held up his hand to Bowser.

As much as Bowser hated working together with Mario and shrimps like Bottles, he had a greater ache to avenge Sonic and fight against Master Hand. "Teammates," Bowser agreed, shaking Bottles's hand with his claw.

So the 19 characters split up, and most of them exited the colosseum to face the Wire Frames. Some worked alone, some in pairs, and some in small groups. Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, and Dixie Kong stayed in the infirmary in case any competitors woke up. Mario and Zelda headed out with Luigi and Young Link (who had just woken up) a short while later, intent on finding Crazy Hand (Luigi's hat had somehow been restored). The Rito Postman, however, simply flew off away from the city.

…

The night raged on. With the most of the city in ruins, the majority of Crazy Hand's army was focusing on the area around Fourside Colosseum, where there was considerable resistance. Wire Frames crowded through the city streets, surrounding those who were openly fighting them. Bowser sent streams of flames through rows of Wire Frames. Popo and Nana, reunited at last, froze enemy after enemy and then smashed them to pieces with their hammers. Fox and Falco were facing off with Metal Ice Climbers inside the lobby of the Grande Snifit's Hotel, completely mutilating the interior, but for a good cause. The storm of purple clouds, lightning, and acid rain continued to add to the chaos and destroy some of Fourside City's prominent office buildings. Not a single star shone in the sky, so the only sources of light were the moon and the fires. Most of the citizens who were unable to defend themselves had evacuated themselves at this point. Crazy Hand soared over the scene, laughing manically and firing missiles, laser beams, and purple bomb-like objects.

As time passed, the infuriated army pushed on all sides, forcing most of the fighters into a large four-way intersection. Back in the hotel, Metal Nana was melted, but Fox was knocked unconscious, leaving the fight between Falco and Metal Popo.

Most were surprised by the unique appearances of the Wire Frames, with all of the added features and fighting styles that were previously not present. This made it harder for them to fight each one, for each Wire Frame now had a different style of attacking, and so different weaknesses. They came to notice the nature of the Wire Frames' bodies. Wire Frames did not have blood; the framing that made up their shape was like thick metal wire. All the space in between the wires was a solid slightly jelly-like substance, except for the heart beating in the center. No one could tell amidst the confusion whether anyone besides Wire Frames had fallen.

The two dozen or so fighters in the center were valiantly making a great stand, but no matter how many Wire Frames they destroyed, a seemingly endless supply of them poured out from the corners. Link rapidly used every weapon in his current arsenal to fend them off. Meta Knight flew overhead, slicing boldly where he could. Banjo and Kazooie worked as a fearful team, letting off dozens of eggs that exploded, froze, burned, etc, with Bottles brandishing a ray gun in each hand close behind. Pit Icarus hovered with his wings high above, letting loose a volley of arrows. However, at some point, a fierce bolt of lightning struck his right wing, and he painfully fell onto a roof. Goombario and Professor E. Gadd were perhaps having the most fun during the battle. Goombario was using a record-breaking Multi-Bonk to bounce across the crowd of Wire Frames on his head, flipping himself on each hit. The professor, meanwhile, was hiding in a dumpster in a remote alley and controlling a personalized robot with the appearance of himself, and was testing out its zapper, flamethrower, karate chop, bulldozer, and other such capabilities.

The night was now at its deepest; fallen Wire Frame bodies and a few freedom fighters were heaping around the rebellion's circle. More competitors were waking up in the infirmary, and so far not a single one had declined to helping out, but the fighters were becoming weary, and the army showed no sign of stopping or retreating, like a relentless blizzard. The only group outside that was not fighting was the one made up of Mario, Luigi, Zelda, and Young Link. They were trying to discreetly follow Crazy Hand's movements by creeping through empty alleys. However, when the moon was high overhead and Falco had finally disposed of Metal Popo, something critical happened.

Crazy Hand, who was actually following behind Mario and the others nearly the entire time, swooped down into the narrow alley where they were watching the sky in the opposite direction. Seconds later, a manic laugh was heard along with a piercing shriek of terror. Mario, Young Link, and Luigi turned around at the sound. But there was nothing there. Including Zelda. They soon turned quickly back to the sky, and saw Crazy Hand flying away laughing, with something clutched in his huge white fingers.

"Oh," Luigi said.

…

The infirmary was quite a boring place, with someone waking up only once in a while, and nothing very interesting in the room besides the characters themselves. Toad and the others had just dismissed Super Toad to the battle when Tiny Kong had a sudden thought.

"Hey, why aren't we fighting? We can fight, even if we're small! We don't all have to stay in here, do we?" Tiny Kong, after helping Diddy Kong come to himself and leave to face the Wire Frames, had grown impatient, as had some of the others.

"Pichu!" Pichu agreed. "Pichu-Pi!" This meant something like, "I agree. There must be something else we can do to help!"

Then Toad had an idea. "I have an idea!"

* * *

Reviews wanted!

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City (Battling):** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Roy, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Diddy Kong, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Bottles, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight

**Fourside City (Near Crazy Hand):** Mario, Luigi, Young Link, Princess Zelda

**Fourside City (Infirmary):**Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Rito Postman

**Trophy:** Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon


	17. Chapter 10:5: Wish Upon a Star

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Stars**

**{5} Wish Upon a Star**

"Mama-mia," Mario said.

"Dang it," Young Link said.

They watched as Crazy Hand flew with his cargo above the tallest building in the city, not far away. His voice was so loud anyone could hear it. But it was directed to the three of them, after another fit of manic laughter. "To the roof, you fools! Or I'll leave!" He was facing them again, and they could see Zelda's head and shoulders and the end of her dress poking out of the giant gloved fist.

Of course they had no choice but to comply, so they fought their way to the base of the tall building, climbed hurriedly up the large winding staircase inside (the city's power was out, so the elevators were not available), and finally exited out the uppermost door to the flat roof outside.

Remarkably, this building had avoided being struck by lightning, even though it towered over all the other ones, giving a spectacular but horrifying view of the destruction and chaos around them. Above, the purple clouds loomed as threatening as ever. But fortunately, the acid rain now appeared to be letting up, as if nature could sense the tension on that roof. Some ways off, Diddy Kong was flying his jetpack (strangely repaired) and taking on airborne Wire Frames in a rather interesting dogfight, but he was too busy to notice them. Pit was actually on a neighboring roof nearby, but he was unconscious. And of course, Wire Frames swarmed through the streets below them, clustering around the tiring rebels.

So Mario, Luigi, and Young Link stepped out onto the large square cement roof, and glared at Crazy Hand, who was hovering a few yard away and above the roof.

"Release me!" Zelda was struggling against Crazy Hand's grip, but he was just too big.

"What do you want?" Young Link shouted, drawing his sword.

Crazy Hand laughed. "What do I want? I want everything! I want the Nintendo World; I want to capture every blasted fool who dares stand against me! Especially those of the Original 25, those who have the potential of defeating Master Hand and me. I even want Master Hand to stop calling me Lefty. But which of those things can I get from you? The way I see it, the best choice to get what I want is to capture you three and add the four of you to Master Hand's collection. After all, as of the last time I was informed, four out of the 25 are already… solidified, with at least two more on deck! Of course, I will also capture the rest of those still in this city, still fighting, presumably. The other fighters will be either killed or added to the collection as well, of course. It was a very foolish thing they did, standing against my army. I truly wonder why they even hoped to withstand the sheer numbers standing against them. Perhaps you know why? Anyway, that's enough blabbering. It's time for me to watch you suffer my wrath… indirectly!" Crazy Hand laughed again.

Then suddenly, a medium-sized metal form leaped over the side of the building onto the roof, sword in hand. Metal Marth. Crazy Hand grew still in the air, with Zelda still wriggling in vain, soon giving up.

Mario and Luigi simultaneously fired red and green fireballs at the metal clone, which leaped over the projectiles, and landed in front of Young Link, knocking his sword out of his hand and off the roof. Metal Marth kicked Young Link in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. It then turned to Mario and Luigi, who were both in fighting poses. The metal character then charged straight for where they were standing, a few feet apart. But as it drew near, Mario and Luigi both ran inward, collapsing into each other and falling to the cement ground. Metal Marth advanced slowly now, fist raised. And then…

…

"Maybe we could call upon the powers of the Star Spirits, just like Princess Peach did when Bowser lifted the castle into the air, and just like Mario and Luigi's recent incident at Beanbean Castle (Toad had been told along with several others by Mario how many Beanbeans had wished for the kingdom's safety while the Hammer Bros. were attacking, and how the seven Star Spirits had saved Queen Bean from an anonymous enemy)."

"Hmm," Dixie Kong pondered. "It could work. But the problem is there are not enough people here for our wish to work."

"Puff!" Jigglypuff objected, which meant something along the lines of, "Who says we need a certain number of people to join in the wish? And everyone who is hiding right now is probably wishing for the city's safety anyway."

"I agree," said Toad. "All we need to do is specify the city's wish and direct it towards the Star Spirits. So let me teach you how a proper wishing is done…"

…

…a cylindrical beam of green energy shot from somewhere and blasted into Metal Marth's chest. The ray gun beam's purpose was not to melt or destroy him, but rather to push it away a large distance. And the distance this particular beam sent Metal Marth was enough to send it toppling off the roof.

Everyone then turned to the source of the ray gun blast, and this part surprised everyone. Banjo and Kazooie, with Kazooie flapping her red wings furiously in effort, flew over the opposite side of the roof, and clinging to Banjo's foot with one hand was Bottles, who was holding the guilty ray gun in his other hand. Kazooie hovered over to where she could drop them, and the three residents of Spiral Mountain joined a shaken Mario, Luigi, and Young Link (who were all getting up). Bottles, Banjo, and Kazooie smiled at each of them reassuringly, who smiled back in relief, and then they all turned back to hear Crazy Hand speak again.

"Grrr!" Crazy hand growled. "That was my _only_ Metal Marth, you know!" But while still gripping Zelda, Crazy Hand wagged his pinky finger, and almost instantly three more metal characters leaped over the sides of the roof and landed in a triangular formation around them. Their identities were Metal Roy, Metal Fox, and Metal Pikachu.

Mario, Luigi, and Young Link went to tackle Metal Roy, while Banjo, Kazooie, and Bottles focused a barrage of grenade eggs and ray gun beams at Metal Fox. Crazy Hand and Zelda continued to watch, but Metal Pikachu simply ducked its head while standing on its feet and balled up its tiny little fists, not drawing any attention with its diminutive form.

Mario, Luigi, and Young Link surrounded Metal Roy, but it was avoiding or deflecting their attacks with its sword effortlessly. It laid a hard blow with its fist on Luigi's cheek, and the green man fell unconscious. Young Link tried to fight with a Deku stick, but it broke on the first hit against Metal Roy's heavy sword, knocking it out of Link's hands and jarring them painfully. But while Metal Roy advanced on the currently weaponless Link, Mario jumped above Metal Roy and brought his fist down upon the metal clone's head mid-leap, knocking it down. Mario then quickly landed, turned around, and grabbed the flailing clone's legs. With a heave, he began swinging Metal Roy around and around, faster and higher each time.

But before he could send it off the nearby roof edge, Metal Roy used his heavy sword to smack the side of Mario's head, sending him to the ground to join his brother. The Metal Clone furiously got up and advanced on Young Link swiftly, but it was at that moment that Kazooie noticed their dilemma, and used her unique bird abilities to eject a grenade egg from her other end. The grenade egg bounced towards the unsuspecting clone, and exploded on contact, sending Metal Roy off the edge and falling fatally to the ground far below.

While Mario, Luigi, and Link were busy, Banjo and Kazooie had been attacking Metal Fox. Banjo moved around so Kazooie's aim would be as accurate as possible, and Bottles fired his last shot into Fox's chest, making it slide to the very edge of the building. But then Metal Fox pointed his blaster at Bottles and fired.

The laser traveled towards Bottles's head, and Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, and Metal Fox watched in bewilderment as the laser came into contact with Bottles's right goggle lens, bounced off, and sequentially backfired on Metal Fox, melting the clone to the ground (By this time Kazooie had already had already ejected her grenade egg).

"And that," Bottles concluded, "is why you must always wear safety goggles when dealing with high-intensity light projectiles." He, Banjo, Kazooie, and Young Link, began to laugh, when the unthinkable happened.

Metal Pikachu unleashed its fully charged Skull Bash, slammed into the goggle-eyed leader of the Resistance, and both it and Bottles tumbled over the edge to their dooms.

Shock and grief filled the hearts of Banjo, Kazooie, Young Link, and Zelda, and it showed terribly on their stricken faces, as they stared at the edge where Bottles, their beloved leader, had made the ultimate sacrifice for the welfare of their world. But as Crazy Hand spoke for the final time that night, they were forced to focus their attention once again on the nefarious commander.

"Hwa he haa! Well, well! It looks like the Resistance will need to be having another election soon! But that's enough fun and games. If you won't come quietly, then perhaps―" but he, along with the others, was distracted by a bright shape of light falling from the sky.

It began as a tiny speck of light, continually growing brighter, but as it drew nearer, it was obvious that it was no wandering fairy. The massive bright shape came down with great speed into the square where the main battle of Fourside City was commencing, revealing to be a Shooting Star, a falling projectile of great power. The huge star of light fell upon this spot, exploding into hundreds of smaller stars, which each fell down upon the terrified Wire Frames, but avoided all the ones who had been fighting them. As each smaller star landed on a Wire Frame, the Wire Frame itself turned into a star and rose, rotating, to disappear into the sky. Some of the smaller stars, that did not hit anyone, just disappeared upon contact with the ground.

Crazy Hand yelled in rage and fury as he avoided dozens of Shooting Stars, and yelled in even more rage and even more fury when he saw that across the cities, other Shooting Stars were descending, eliminating all of the city's purple enemies. Everyone who had been saved from the army cheered with joy, shaking fists into the air and embracing the person next to them. The purple clouds and the storm had been chased away to reveal a beautiful night sky with thousands of shining stars.

Then, when the last of Crazy Hand's army had been removed, the Seven Star Spirits themselves gracefully descended, rotating in a circle, their five-pointed shapes bright and the area around them sparkling dazzlingly. The septet halted in the air near where Crazy Hand was. The city's residents who were there to see it watched in awe.

"Crazy Hand!" Eldstar, the leader of the Star Spirits and the oldest, had a voice that echoed forcefully and loudly throughout the city around them. "Leave this world at peace or we shall destroy you and Master Hand with one swift stroke!"

Crazy Hand, as powerful as he was, seemed slightly subdued by the authority of Eldstar's voice. Still clutching Zelda, he turned to those on the roof and whispered rather loudly, "This isn't the end!" Then the great white hand ignited some sort of rocket on the end of his wrist, and one second, he was there; the next, he was zooming into the horizon, Zelda's scream echoing behind him. Young Link had rapidly fired a fire arrow as Crazy Hand took off, but it missed the white glove by inches and plummeted down to the street below, ripping through the cover of a hot dog stand and extinguishing itself on the wet counter surface.

Young Link and the others looked at the Star Spirits expectantly, but they did not make a move to follow. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Young Link yelled desperately. "Use your powers to stop him!"

But Eldstar, with his large white mustache, and the other Star Spirits, shook themselves sorrowfully.

"I'm afraid," Skolar, the white Star Spirit with glasses and a brown mustache, replied sadly, "we only said that to Crazy Hand to get him to leave. There was nothing we could have done to destroy even one more Wire Frame, much less save your friend."

"But you just destroyed his entire army!" Young Link shouted angrily and tearfully.

"Ah," Muskular, a blue Star Spirit wearing a blue hat, said, "but that, young one, was the most draining effort we have ever given, even with the power of the Star Rod. We are terribly sorry, everyone, but after tonight, neither us seven Star Spirits nor the Star Rod will be able to assist you for a long time. We have become incredibly weary, and the Rod is almost in danger of never regenerating its powers again. You will be on your own from now on."

"But know," Misstar, a pink-tinged Star Spirit with a ribbon wrapped behind her middle point, said in a soothing, heavenly voice, "that the heavens shall always be watching, wishing for your success. Our brightness shall always come as a comfort in the sky on dark, hopeless nights."

Eldstar spoke again through his great bushy white mustache. "But before we leave, there is something you must know. This enemy, Master Hand, is unlike any foe we Seven Star Spirits have ever seen, nor have you faced. Not only does he seem to have control over the power of creation, but if the Nintendo World falls, there is no hope of redemption. Skolar has foreseen it: darkness will reign supreme forever, eliminating hope, destroying eternally the trait we call _similarity_. Everyone will be so horribly different from one another that the world will not exist in unity or cooperation, but in breakable tolerance. Imagination will be abused to the point where―"

"Anyway," Misstar cut in impatiently, "life will never be the same. You must defeat Master Hand and Crazy Hand. You must keep imagination within the bounds of sanity. More is at risk now than there perhaps ever has been. We wish you good luck, and have faith in your success. Farewell, and remember: the heavens are always watching…"

And with that, the Star Spirits ascended back into the sky, leaving the city in ruins.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

End of Book 2.

Reviews wanted x 4!

**Character Locations**

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Roy, Prince Peasley, Young Link, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Diddy Kong, Falco, Nana, Goombario, Banjo and Kazooie, Professor E. Gadd, Pit, Metaknight, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Toad, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Mario, Luigi, Young Link

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

Bottles


	18. Chapter 11:1: Aftermath

**Book 3: ****The Hand of Fate**

**Chapter 11: The Dimension Theory**

**{1} Aftermath**

"You see," the professor explained to the others in his lab, "once you combine their DNA with the Wire Frame material, the substance will assume their shapes and physical characteristics. This has been true for as long as they have existed. But now, with my new formula, the Wire Frames will inherit their magical and natural abilities as well. Obviously this is a huge improvement over the last models, being a much more formidable force on the battlefield. So what do you think, Master?" This professor happened to look extremely similar to Professor Elvin Gadd. Except for a few key differences.

Firstly, the tuft of hair on Professor U. Reeka's head was not white, but an ashy brown-gray. Second, his glasses had, instead of a dizzy circle pattern, a perplexing diamond pattern of four geometrically similar diamonds placed on top of each other, with the fourth diamonds being the rim of the glasses. Thirdly, his lab coat was a darkish gray color instead of white. Fourthly, he did not have a tooth rather comically sticking out of his mouth, but instead had two rows of razor-sharp teeth that glinted dangerously when he spoke. Fifthly, his voice was for the most part the same as E. Gadd's, but with a slightly higher pitch and a touch of growing insanity mixed in it. Lastly, and probably most importantly, he did not invent things for the people's common good or for his personal amusement, instead indulging himself in weapon-making and biological experimenting, not unlike the mad scientist Andross who had been dead for years.

"Excellent! Very excellent! You have permission to create our army immediately!" Master Hand judged.

And as this evil professor presented his latest project, with many of his other sinister ideas displayed throughout his laboratory, he gave no thought to his shadow experiment who had recently been destroyed, or to his long-forgotten rival who also happened to be explaining something at that very moment miles away.

…

**Professor E. Gadd's Laboratory, NW Fourside City**

"You see," the professor explained to the others in his lab, "legend has it that there is a door in this very city that leads to an alternate existence, or dimension, if you will. It is a place of untold power and unimaginable creatures. But the key has been lost for centuries; no one within the world's memory has managed to enter it, or return, in any case."

"Ah, I see," said Professor Frankly. "So if we are to enter this alternate dimension and harness this power, we must find the key and the door which the legend speaks of."

Professor E. Gadd, with his tuft of hair as white as ever, gave a toothy grin. "Exactly. But I believe I have already found the location of the door. The _key_ is our problem."

Professor Frankly, along with Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, and the Ice Climbers, gasped, and the first spoke. "Really? But Where?"

"Mario, we came through an underground passage into an old storage room with a locked door, did we not?" Mario nodded. "And wasn't there another locked door beside the one which we came out of?" The plumber nodded again. "This," and the professor gave a dramatic pause, "is what I hypothesize to be the door of legend. For our purposes, let's call these mystical items the Dimension Door and Dimension Key. I have personally tried various inventions on this door, and none have been able to unlock or break through it. So the real issue comes in finding this key and doing the deed."

"Now I have, from my research, a rough description of the key. It is chrome in color and texture, and has the sense of something ancient, but from appearance looks shiny and brand new. Sticking from the sides of the end that you stick in the keyhole are the letters N and D, which I guess to mean New Dimension. Finally, this key has strange magnetic properties that keep it from moving farther than 10 miles away from the door. So the key, too, I assume, is somewhere in the city."

"I have called you here for two specific reasons. Frankly, I just thought you'd be interested in my lab and research." Professor Frankly gave an old sigh of disappointment at Gadd's words. "Frankly the professor, that is. Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, and Nana, I have chosen you to embark on the quest for this key and then to travel to this alternate dimension to aid us in our fight against Master Hand. Why you specifically, you might ask?" Professor E. Gadd spoke louder over the others' surprised jabbering. "Because you four are particularly well known for your history, and have plenty of experience in dimensional change. I believe that when you go through the Dimension Door, you very well might lose a dimension to yourself or two. This would make you four the best prepared to face such a strange phenomenon."

"Now before you start asking if this hazardous journey is absolutely necessary," the professor had to raise his voice again to quell the others' protests, "let me explain why it is. I have done some crucial calculations since what happened last night, and I have concluded that there is no force within reach in this world or in any other that can stop Master Hand if he uses his growing power to its full potential. Neither the Triforce nor the Power Stars nor any other power source can match it. The Star Rod could possibly have worked, but now we know that it won't be available. We don't have the time or the materials needed for me to construct a second Cobalt Star, either. And of course, turning to the Sony or Microsoft Worlds for help is out of the question. Our only chance is to find this ancient unheard-of power that has been sought after since the beginning of time but has never been grasped. To make history, to change the future of this world, we must grapple and struggle to understand and master the forces of time and space. Any questions? Let's have some lunch before we leave." The professor left for his kitchen to whip up some Shroom Roast and Elixir Soup, leaving the others standing bewildered and dumbfounded.

…

After the Star Spirits had left, no one had had the energy left to resist sleeping, either in their hotels or on the streets. The morning sun came bright and terrible, and roused the first of the city's least exhausted occupants (or what was left of the city, in any case). As more and more people awoke, the terrible reality of what had happened hours before dawned upon them (no pun intended). What had previously been a sparkling, bustling, magnificent city was now a ruin of fallen, blackened, disintegrated, or otherwise destroyed buildings.

The buildings that were still standing and in usable condition were used as refuges for the now-homeless residents, and a plan for distributing food to the helpless was organized by the city council. Many left the city in search of a new home.

And when those who had fallen or had been seriously injured in last night's battle began to be found, a great mourning rose from the horrified population, spreading to the edges of the giant city, and beyond, even. The losses were later noted to amount to 25 deaths and 94 injured, some on the brink of death themselves. Among the dead that were found were Bottles, Charizard (whose burning tail had been extinguished by the rain), the Kremling, the Iron Knuckle, and Super Toad (who was credited with saving the life of his girlfriend, Cute T., and giving up his own in the process). The other fatalities included 6 Toads, 5 Hylians, 3 humans from the Kanto Region, 2 Koopas, a Beanbean, a Pianta (not the same whose popcorn bucket had been impaled twice in a row), a knight who was once one of Meta Knight's companions, and a poor baby Yoshi.

In addition, a large number was declared missing, and most of them were presumed dead. This included Bowser Jr., Doopliss, Captain Falcon, Chunky Kong, Samus, Diddy Kong, Jigglypuff, Parakarry the Paratroopa, Meta Knight, Roy, Luigi, Toadsworth, The Master, Ridley, Birdo, Darknut, Megaman, Andrew Oikonny, the Rito Postman, Zelda, Wario, Waluigi, Sonic, and Shadow (all those who had been turned into trophies had disappeared from the room under the colosseum or wherever they had been transformed― but that isn't to say that they all were). Among the seriously injured were Pit with his stricken wing, the Mario Fan who was still suffering from his severe burn, and Peppy Hare, who had been dragged into the street by Slippy in the morning, revealing his torn ear, mangled leg, heavily bruised face, and dried blood caked on his stomach. Of the three, however, Peppy was the only one in critical condition, too weak to describe how he had been injured, and all Slippy would say in his worry was that he and Peppy had gotten lost and had been attacked by something.

Following the knowledge of Bottles's death, Professor E. Gadd was chosen to be the leader of the Resistance, with Banjo as second in command. The professor had already convinced many others in the city to join, and was secretly sending out messengers to far-off kingdoms to seek more help, one for each area. The only scout that was widely known was Prince Peasley, who had been sent to the Beanbean Kingdom to explain the situation and bring back as many fighters as possible, although it was rumored that the Rito Postman had left on such a mission himself, even though he had departed during the battle. A select few among the resistance (those who had fought the previous night, for instance) knew that the other chosen scouts included Jigglypuff to the Kanto Region, Parakarry and Toad to the Mushroom Kingdom, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to the Kongo Jungle, Meta Knight to Dreamland, Roy to his homeland, and Toadsworth and Luigi to the outer islands around the Nintendo mainland. No one was deployed to the F-Zero Grand Prix, Icicle Mountains, or the Spooky Forest because there was a very remote population in those areas, but the Star Wolf team had agreed to travel to surrounding planets. Fox, Falco, and Slippy planned to do likewise after Peppy's good health had been ensured.

A journey back to Resistance HQ in Master Hand's room was planned to confirm Professor E. Gadd's new position of leadership.

And now E. Gadd had called on Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, and the Ice Climbers to undertake this strange journey. So the party of six (counting Gadd and Frankly), after their nourishing meal, departed for the enigmatic door in the middle area of the demolished city via Gadd's black and yellow circular hover car.

…

In a spacious cave below a large fortress, there was silence. Not a single figure moved within sight. That is, except for one beaten, heavily injured person that was crawling across the ground in a dark tunnel leading southeast to an old storage room. This figure was holding on to his life with the determination that he must give his message to someone before he let go. His ribs had been crushed, and the blood flow around his old heart was having a sort of traffic jam. His breath came fast, heavy, and rasping, but he knew he must go on, so he continued to slide across the dirt tunnel, a few feet at a time.

…

The afternoon after the previous night's events, a funeral service was held for those who had perished in the battle. There was quite a large crowd there. Many wild Pokemon had come to show respect for the brave Charizard. A group of notable knights and swordsmen had come to pay respects to the Iron Knuckle and Meta Knight's companion, and awarding each of them the Hero's Crest. A large family had come to mourn the loss of Super Toad (his actual name had been Todd T.), along with his girlfriend Cute T. His brother, Bert T., had joined the Resistance, along with Cute T. and the rest of his family. And many other families and friends of the dead had come besides these, weeping over the tragic deaths of their loved ones. A good number of them had joined the Resistance as well.

All of the Resistance that wasn't otherwise occupied was gathered around Bottles's grave, and Banjo and others were taking turns recounting all the amazing and courageous things Bottles had done in his lifetime, and how he had even returned from the dead once before. However, there was no life energy available to revive him a second time, and it was apparent that Bottles's spirit was not visible in the middle of the Nintendo World like it was on the Isle of Hags (to which, by the way, a message had been sent to inform Bottles's family, which was extremely risky considering how close the island was to the Microsoft World nowadays).

Finally, near the end of the service, Ganondorf (yes, Ganondorf!) stood on a small hill above everyone else and declared, "The dead we have gathered around today should not have died. They were unjustified casualties, cruelly taken away by an even crueler enemy. But I want everyone here to know that I, Ganondorf, King of Darkness, swear that these brave loved ones shall be avenged! The Resistance is as we speak constantly striving to defeat our one great enemy, Master Hand, and as long as I am alive, we will not stop until we have succeeded! And you are all welcome to help in this great work, if you aren't already; all you have to do is ask another member, and you too can join the fight against the greatest enemies the world has ever known (including me!)!

Ganondorf had unexpectedly proved to be one of the most successful scouts around the city, drawing attention with his unrestrained aura of power.

And so the people left the graveyard to return to their lives or take up Ganondorf's offer.

…

The building with the two mysterious doors looked like all the others: tall, grand, and covered with small windows. However, it stood out more now because it was among the few buildings that had survived the attack and the storm. And when Professor E. Gadd and the others entered it, they knew they were in the right place.

On either side was a staircase leading to the higher levels, concealed quickly by the low ceiling. A few potted plants dotted the corners of the short hallway, and a reception desk was positioned in front of the right hand wall near the entrance. Everything was office-white, and at the end of the short hallway were the two ordinary-looking doors.

The only difference between the two doors was that the right door had a small window looking into a small storage room; the other door had no window. Both had keyholes below the chipped doorknob, and the paint was peeling off the wood.

The professor and the rest hurried down to the two doors. Mario, just to make sure, tested the left-hand doorknob, predictably finding it locked.

"Well, this is it," E. Gadd sighed. "I really don't know where to start looking for the key, though. Maybe we should call a meeting and ask if anyone has any information on it. Yes, I'll do that now." He took out a radio and spoke with someone. "To the auditorium, then. The meeting will start in 15 minutes," he told the others.

…

Fifteen minutes later, the Resistance was all seated in a spacious auditorium, where they had decided to hold meetings with the whole group. There was a podium at the bottom where hundreds of seats were positioned around the stage in a not-quite-semi-circle.

The professor stood up and walked up to the podium. "Attention! May I have your attention, please!" The crowd obediently quieted down. "For reasons that cannot be explained at this time, we are in search of a shiny chrome key, with the letters N and D sticking out of the sides. Does anyone have any information on it? If so, please raise your hand to speak!"

No one moved for a few seconds, and then a Toad in the second to top row on the right side tentatively raised a hand.

"Yes?" Professor E. Gadd said excitedly, pointing to the raised hand.

The Toad stood up. "Well, my car keys are chrome, but I don't think the letters ND are on it." He quickly sat back down, his face bright red.

The professor looked disappointed. "Well, um, thanks, but, er...it has to have those two letters on it. Anyone else?"

Then, unexpectedly, Slippy in the front row raised his hand.

"Yes, Slippy?" E. Gadd asked, not expecting successful information after the Toad.

"Well, I've recently seen a key that looks just like you described," Slippy said confidently.

"Really?" Gadd said, getting excited again. "Where did you see it?"

"Well, Peppy and I were running through a dark alley last night behind the Grand Snifit Hotel, and then suddenly we fell down a pipe. We were in a dark cave, and after wandering around by laser light for a while, we found a larger cavern that had a pile of different objects in the center, including this key, I think. But then Peppy was attacked by a monster, and it was so dark neither of us saw it clearly, so I shot it with my laser, but I don't think I killed it, and Peppy and I barely escaped by going back the way we came." Slippy sat back down, apparently finished.

"Excellent! Thank you!" the professor said excitedly. "Slippy, can you lead us to this pipe?"

Slippy looked startled. "Take you there? I think so. But I'm not going in, and be careful if you do."

And with that the meeting was ended, and the party of seven (with Slippy included) began zooming towards the Grand Snifit Hotel in the hover car.

…

"Hmm. This pipe appears to be used as a garbage disposal for the hotel. Very interesting." E. Gadd and the others gazed down the gaping blackness of the green pipe almost level with ground before them. The dark alley they were in made it apparent how Slippy and Peppy had failed to notice the hole, especially considering how dark the night had been. "Slippy, thank you for leading us here. May I ask you to now wait outside for our return? If we are not back within three hours, get help. Professor Frankly, would you like to wait outside as well?"

The bespectacled Goomba gave a sigh of slight disappointment, but of relief as well. "Yes, I think I shall sit out on this one, professor."

E. Gadd nodded, then took out his Lightatron 5000 (which was basically a souped up flashlight), and leaned over the hole. "The rope, Slippy?"

Slippy handed him a rope, with the professor promptly tied to a loop in a nearby dumpster, threw the rest of the rope into the hole, and, attaching the Lightatron to his head, began climbing down, telling the others to follow.

Mario climbed down after the professor, followed by Mr. Game and Watch, Popo, and Nana. The hole went down so far that the light at the top was but a distant speck above them. The vertical passage was narrow, and was revealed by the Lightatron to be wet rock.

They finally reached the bottom, and from the illuminating but limited light coming from the Lightatron, they could see they were in a small cave, with a smaller tunnel leading farther down. Small stalactites and stalagmites were formed along the ceiling and floor.

Professor E. Gadd set his Lightatron down and, pushing a button on the right side, said, "I'll bet you've never seen a flashlight like this before!"

At that point several things happened to the large flashlight. Metal gears and hinges unfolded out of the light, and soon it was separated into four identical parts (including the beams of light). Then, each of the four beams of light separated into two circles, and the four machines unfolded robot-like arms, and their bases represented that of a tank's, rolling over terrain.

"These," Professor Gadd announced proudly, "are Mini Lightatron R.O.B.'s (Robotic Operating Buddies). They will be distributed evenly through the group, using their eye sockets to provide light not only for the front, but for the back, and in any direction you point. Now let us proceed. Mario, would you mind leading? I'm not afraid of the unknown, but I fear this old body isn't prepped to fight any creatures at the moment." So Mario took the lead, and they began walking through the narrow passage, with the six beams of light helpfully pointing at the ground, up ahead, or any direction one of the travelers pointed to.

* * *

Let me know if you have any questions. ;)

Character Locations

**Cave Under Hotel:** Professor E. Gadd, Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Falco, Goombario, Banjo and Kazooie, Pit, Pichu, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Young Link

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Jigglypuff, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Luigi, Star Wolf, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles


	19. Chapter 11:2: The Cave Guardian

**Book 3: ****The Hand of Fate**

**Chapter 11: The Dimension Theory**

**{2} The Cave Guardian**

For about 20 minutes, they followed the narrow tunnel, feeling wet rock walls, and marveling at intricate stalactite and stalagmite formations. Water dripped from above, occasionally landing on their heads. Even with the light of the R.O.B.'s, the majority of the surrounding area was covered in thick darkness. The air was cold and humid. Popo and Nana in particular tried not to imagine what would happen if the R.O.B.'s somehow stopped working, and resulted in them being surrounded in pitch black with no idea of where they were.

Then, some way into the cave, they reached a fork, with one path veering left and the other curving to the right. After a few second's hesitation, the professor led them down the right tunnel. However, after a minute or two of going down this passage, they seemed to reach a dead end.

The R.O.B.'s shone their illuminating beams everywhere, revealing the skeletons of countless creatures and people scattered along the spacious floor. Rats, at the shine of the bright lights, fled from the rotting bones.

But when Professor E. Gadd directed one of the R.O.B.'s pair of beams in the upward direction, the quiet was disrupted.

Hundreds of Swoopulas, dark green in color, were awoken by the lights, and left their perches, shrieking loudly, and diving down at random areas. The group of five cried out in surprise and fear, and fled back towards the tunnel they had gone down. Mr. Game & Watch, who was the last to leave the bone-littered and bat infested cavern, was suddenly confronted by a huge dark gray bat, known as a Swampire, It swooped towards the 2-D character, its fangs bared menacingly, aching to bite someone. Mr. Game & Watch, startled, stopped, and when the bat was but a couple feet away from his face, drew out his black rod with a burning black flame on the end.

The Swampire screeched in pain as it passed through the flame, and fell writhing to the ground. Mr. Game & Watch maneuvered around it and followed the others into the tunnel.

The bats, apparently satisfied and sleepy, did not follow, but returned to their perches. Regardless, the party of five ran until they were back at the fork, where they stopped to catch their breath.

"Whew, do you think that was what attacked Slippy and Peppy?" Nana asked, panting.

"I, _huff_, don't think so. There was no pile of objects, and I don't think those bats would have mangled Peppy's leg, do you?" the professor replied. The others shook their heads in agreement, and the started down the left tunnel.

After a couple minutes of more walking, they reached another cavern, and this cave appeared to fit Slippy's description.

It was approximately the same size and shape as the bat-infested one, but further examination showed that the ceiling was bat-free, and there were no rats in sight either. Bones still littered the ground in perhaps a larger quantity, and on the right side was a tall ledge that they could not see over, from which a loud snoring noise was coming. Hanging from the ceiling, creaking with each swing menacingly, were two empty iron cages that added additional tension and fear to the small group. Finally, in the center of the room was a large pile of objects, just like Slippy had claimed. So many different objects were in this heap that it would not be worth listing them all, but they all appeared to be shiny or valuable in some way, including lots of gold coins, jewels, pearl necklaces, silver goblets, a very long Goron-made sword with a ruby set in its hilt, broken pieces of colorful glass and crystal, some of which might have previously been part of a valuable star, and even a familiar magical paintbrush that appeared to be broken in half.

And near the top on the side facing them was a small chrome object, shining very brightly despite its age and size.

"There it is!" Professor E. Gadd cried. "That's the Dimension key! I'm sure of it! I can almost see the letters sticking out of the sides!" Unfortunately, in his excitement, the professor had forgotten all about the deadly guardian that had maimed Peppy. The snoring suddenly stopped, and whatever was on the ledge appeared to be moving, grunting angrily. The group huddled in fear and silence as something huge stood up in the statues, its enormous head appearing above the ledge.

Everyone was too afraid to point at it to see what it was, but when it began moving towards them, with only the head visible, Mario shakily and reluctantly lifted his arming, his gloved finger pointing towards the creature. Obediently, one of the R.O.B.'s pairs of light beams shifted to the object, revealing its head.

It was the flower-like Piranha Plant, Petey Piranha, with yellow flowers around its head, which was red with white polka dots. Its large green lips bordered its huge, gaping mouth and its sharp white teeth. It turned towards the intruders, and let out a long, deafening, and fearsome roar.

Mario, however, as well as the others, was very relieved. "Mama-mia! I thought it a-would be a-something actually competent. Don't a-worry, I've a-fought this a-thing several times. All you a-have to do is knock it over and a-stomp its―"

But he stopped mid-speech as the rest of Petey's body came into view. Instead of leafy arms, a plump stomach, red and white polka dotted shorts, and stubby green legs, was…something else. Eight giant hairy spider legs protruded from the sides of his horizontally positioned body, which now had no leafy arms or feet. His stomach area resembled the abdomen of a spider, and― this was the biggest shock of all― a huge glaring yellow eye opened up in the middle of Petey's polka dotted forehead.

"That's strange," Mr. Game & Watch remarked. "It looks like a com-bin-a-tion of Pet-ey Pir-an-ha and Goh-ma from the Tem-ple of Time."

At these words, Professor E. Gadd's eyes widened in horror. He whispered fearful words to himself. "Could it…? No, it's not possible…is it? He couldn't have returned…"

Then Piranha Gohma began to charge, bellowing in Petey's deep voice.

"Danger!" the professor yelled to the R.O.B.'s, which reacted by firing laser bursts at the monster. The lasers scorched Piranha Gohma's head and legs, but did not seem to hinder it much. It responded by shooting goopy blobs out of its mouth, destroying first one and then another of the R.O.B.'s, which critically decreased the lighting.

"Stop!" Gadd yelled, and, realizing what would happen if all the R.O.B.'s were destroyed, grabbed one of the remaining ones (both had stopped firing) and began running towards the pile of treasure. The other R.O.B. remained with Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, and the Ice Climbers, and shone at the hideous monstrosity approaching them.

It spotted Gadd heading for the pile, and turned towards him instead, so the Ice Climbers chucked two Freezies at it to get its attention. Piranha Gohma roared again, and turned back to them, advancing on its spider legs in a renewed fury.

Mario shot fireballs at it, Mr. Game & Watch threw burning black bacon, and the Ice Climbers threw Freezies, but none of their attacks had much of an affect. The creature slammed into the Ice Climbers with its head, knocking them into the far wall. It then turned to Mario, and before he could react, trapped him in a pile of goop-like muck, also destroying the second-to-last R.O.B. It lifted the goop-covered Mario with a hairy leg, brought it towards its huge mouth, and…

Mr. Game & Watch, not drawing attention with his completely black figure, thought about what Mario had said about Petey Piranha. He leaped high over Piranha Gohma, and slammed into the stomach/abdomen with his black key, piercing the plant-like flesh.

Piranha Gohma bellowed with pain, and its spider legs collapsed to the ground, dropping Mario. It groaned weakly, its harsh breath growing steadily weaker. Mr. Game & Watch let go of the key, and jumped down to the ground, walking over to help Mario out of the goop. Piranha Gohma's hot breath blew past them, growing weaker and weaker.

And suddenly, it roared even louder, while simultaneously lunging forward with its mouth to clamp down on Mario and Mr. Game & Watch. And when the two heroes braced themselves for their painful deaths, there was another screech from Piranha Gohma, and it collapsed again, definitely dead this time.

Professor E. Gadd was standing next to them, one hand holding the shiny chrome key, and the other holding the Biggoron Sword that he had plunged into the yellow Gohma eye on Piranha Gohma's forehead, black blood/eye fluid trickling down the blade.

"Whew!" the professor said, laughing. "I guess this old geezer's still got some juice left in him, eh? Now let's help the Ice Climbers and get out of here before our last R.O.B.'s battery runs out!"

…

Bowser was sitting on a large throne at the end of the throne room. He looked out the nearest window of his hovering castle at the destroyed city below.

"General?" he bellowed.

"Yes, King Bowser?" A Hammer Bro. with four yellow stars emblazed on the front of his helmet spoke from his left-hand side.

"Are your troops on their way? There's no telling when Master Hand will strike again."

The distinguished Hammer Bro. nodded. "Affirmative. And with them are Sergeant Goombob's, Colonel Koopriko's, Master Kamek's and Lieutenant Spinelli's troops as well."

"What about King Boo's?"

The hardy Hammer Bro. hesitated. "Erm…well, the Boos' situation is somewhat unknown. I mean, they were all vacuumed up by that Luigi a couple years ago, but just a month or so ago, someone let all the ghosts out again; only thing is, nobody knows where the Boos are; Boolossus was temporarily sighted at the tournament, but he ran off as well. The rest of the ghosts just went back to haunting their mansion."

Bowser gave a low growl. "Well, when they do show up, King Boo will have some explaining to do. No matter. Where is Pichu? I wish to speak with him."

"I'll go and fetch him, my lord," the General volunteered, and he ran off and through the big doors at the other end of the throne room.

Now there had been many friendships made the night before. But the strangest, most awkward one, even the one Bowser had with Sonic, was a bond made between him and the small yellow mouse. During the tournament, Pichu watched the battles from on top of Bowser's head, on the condition that he used his exemplary hearing to repeat to Bowser everything that was said on the field. But that was just the beginning. During the Battle of Fourside City, Pichu had saved Bowser's life by warning him of a particularly nasty-looking clawed Wire-Frame, and while Bowser was attacking the sneak, he took Bowser's place on the battlefield, holding back many other Wire Frames from attempting another sneak attack (obviously this meant that Pichu had not remained in the infirmary for at least part of the battle). And when Pichu was being carried off into the throng of Wire Frames, Bowser charged through all in his way and returned the favor. So began a bizarre yet effective friendship.

A few moments later, Pichu came pouncing through the doors, stopping at the foot of Bowser's throne.

"Pichu?" he asked inquiringly.

Bowser sighed and smiled at his little friend. "I don't really know why I called you here; I guess I was just longing for some friendly company." Bowser, amazingly, somehow had the gift to understand the speech of Pichu, but not of any other Pokemon.

"Pi-Pichu-Pi! Pichu Pi-Pichu!" Pichu urged, which meant something along the lines of, "Have you told anyone about what we heard about Shadow and the Shadow Queen at the tournament?"

Bowser was dumbfounded by the simplicity and stupidity of what he had failed yet to do. He smacked himself in his forehead with his right claw. "Crap! I haven't told anyone! I completely forgot about all that! I guess I should, shouldn't I?"

Pichu nodded.

"Thanks, Pichu! You can leave now, if you want. I'm going to go find that Gadd person…" And Bowser leaped off his throne and began thumping towards the launch pad of his Koopa Clown Car.

…

"Well, without further ado, farewell! Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, and Ice Climbers, the fate of the Nintendo World rests in your…er… (Professor E. Gadd glanced at the two things at the end of Mr. Game and Watch's arms) …hands. We are all counting on your success in obtaining the power we need to defeat Master Hand. Good luck―" The professor cut himself off as he saw something move in the storage room beyond the right door through the window.

"Wait just a minute, here," Gadd whispered. "Mario, here's the right door key, go in and see who or what that was."

Mario took the key, turned it in the chipped old doorknob, and opened the door inward, causing light to enter the room and reveal the wounded figure crawling towards them.

"Orca! What happened?" Professor E. Gadd's eyes were wide with shock (behind his perplexing glasses).

The warrior dragged himself closer towards them, stopped, and looked up with his weary old eyes, the fire in them clearly dying away. His bare torso looked terrible; most of the ribs were clearly broken (it could be seen through his skin), and the damage was evidently harming his respiratory and circulatory systems.

"Mario! Get the medics, right away!" Professor E. Gadd ordered. Mario left. "Orca, what happened to you? Who did this?"

Orca groaned. His voice was soft and harsh. "M-Master…Hand…attacked…headquarters…everyone…killed or captured…m-may have been…three escaped…" Orca stopped and wheezed for several seconds before continuing. "I…Metal Bowser…crushed…hid…came to warn…cannot be stopped…"

"They attacked headquarters? Did you find out anything?"

Orca hesitated, still wheezing. "Like…like what?"

Professor E. Gadd considered his thoughts for a moment. "Like…is there anyone besides Master Hand and Crazy Hand behind this? Or are they alone? A professor, perhaps?"

Orca's voice was now very slow and extremely soft, so the professor, Mr. Game and Watch, and the Ice Climbers had to lean forward to hear the faint words.

"Didn't see…a professor…not sure…but Master Hand…"

"Yes, yes?" Professor E. Gadd urged on apprehensively. Was there an even greater enemy behind Master Hand, even?

"Master Hand…may be…a master…but he…is also…a…" Orca's voice was dying away.

"Please, Orca, what is Master Hand besides a master?"

"…a hand." Orca's strained voice died away at the end of his last word. His lifted head fell forward, and his body became limp. The wheezing stopped.

"No!" Tears crept down from behind the professor's glasses. The Ice Climbers and Mr. Game and Watch stared sadly at Orca's body. Gadd was slightly disappointed at Orca's obvious last words. Of course Master Hand was a hand! But had this been a tip for fighting him, a weakness, or what? The fallen warrior's strained words seemed to have little meaning.

A low, growling voice came from behind them. "Yes, but soon he won't even be a hand, or a living thing, for that matter. Those gloves have been white for _far_ too long!"

The four characters turned around. Bowser was standing there, arms folded solemnly, his big dark eyes burning with anger. They could tell he knew what had transpired, that more lives had been lost to Master Hand. Then Bowser turned specifically towards Professor E. Gadd.

"Professor, um…Pichu repeated to me some things that were said at the tournament that I think you should know."

The sad scientist nodded slowly, still looking gravely at Orca. "I would be very interested in hearing what he heard, but I don't think there is time for the rest of us to hear it. We must wait for Mario to return, and then another journey must begin. Time is even shorter than I realized. Training and preparations for battle must be made immediately, and this door must be sealed off after I and a small battalion search the fallen headquarters for the three survivors Orca mentioned."

Bowser looked annoyed. "But, Professor…why Mario? I'd be just as good at any mission he goes on! Oh, but I suppose I'm needed to gather troops…"

"Yes," E. Gadd agreed thoughtfully. "You will be needed here. Still, you _are_ just as experienced with dimensional change as he is…and they may need some additional help defending themselves…Bowser, while we wait for Mario, take me to your Koopa Clown Car…"

…

A professor and his master looked out as the massive, incredibly strong army they had always dreamed of creating began to take shape. This section of the Battlefields, next to Master Hand's room, happened to be very flat. But what weren't flat were the dozens of jelly-like domes dotted along the ground perpendicularly. The jelly-like substance looked just like the substance the Wire Frames were made of; in fact, that was what was coming out of them.

Many small metal flying machines with long needle-like points flew over the jelly domes, dropping small drops of a strange green formula into them. With each drop, a still-solidifying Wire Frame stepped or crawled out of the dome. Each one solidified into one of 25 unique forms (one being in two parts), then joined one of the many growing blocks of troops, lining up in an orderly fashion. As previously mentioned, they blended in somewhat with the Battlefield's flashing purple nature. They were just lighter in color, and each had a beating heart somewhere in the center, depending on what form they took.

"Master?" Professor U. Reeka asked.

"What is it, U. Reeka?" Master Hand replied. They spoke still staring out at the growing army in front of them, the professor with his arms behind his back.

"What if they use the Star Rod again, Master? It obliterated hundreds of troops with one strike!"

Master Hand began to laugh. "Yes, the Star Rod, the power of the stars, the Wish-Granter of the heavens. I'm afraid my good brother Crazy Hand made a mistake in overestimating its abilities. The Star Spirits used so much energy with one attack, they surely wouldn't have been able to strike again. In fact, unless I am much mistaken, it will take at least a year for the Rod's power to regenerate, by which time the Nintendo World will be under our control, including the Heavens. We needn't worry about it."

"Yes, very good, master!" But U. Reeka's thoughts then drifted to an even greater energy source that Master Hand had wanted but had been unable to locate. It wouldn't help for the Rebels to get a hold of that, either.

…

Twenty minutes later, everyone was back at the doors, with the addition of fifty trained Hammer Bros. under the direction of General Hammo.

"Good luck, Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, and Ice Climbers! Good luck, troops!" E. Gadd nodded towards the Hammer Bros. "Like I said before, the fate of the Nintendo World depends on your success. I have no idea what kind of challenges you'll come across, but remember: always look for friendly faces! I'll leave the key with you so that you have a way back, and I'll keep this place well guarded until you return. Goodbye!"

Mario turned the chrome key in the old lock, and it clicked. Mario pulled the heavy door inward, revealing nothing but an extremely bright whiteness, and a strangely magnificent sound that is often associated with bright light. After bracing themselves, the five heroes, one by one, jumped into the light, followed by the sequence of Hammer Bros. Bowser and Professor E. Gadd waved as they left, then closed the door behind them. They left for the Koopa Clown Car, for the professor was ready to hear what Bowser had heard from Pichu that he had heard.

But the guarding of the door was not set up quickly enough, for three additional figures who had been spying on them opened and slipped through the door after the party when Bowser and E. Gadd were gone.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Character Locations

**Inside Dimension Door:** Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Falco, Goombario, Banjo and Kazooie, Pit, Pichu, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Young Link, Professor E. Gadd

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Jigglypuff, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Luigi, Star Wolf, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	20. Chapter 12:1: A Strange New Dimension

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{1} A Strange New Dimension**

**E**. Gadd's laboratory looked perfectly untouched because of the strength of the specially designed steel walls and the flat pewter rooftop. A couple lightning bolts and a downpour of acidic rain weren't enough to damage, dent, or scratch it in the slightest. Therefore, it was fairly safe to say that a conversation on the roof couldn't be overheard or accessed without an excessive amount of effort on the eavesdropper's part. Of course inside would be even safer, but E. Gadd felt too busy to waste time plugging in security codes and verifying voice identifiers, so the Koopa Clown Car landed on the rooftop, and Bowser and the professor stepped off onto the solid metal surface, then stood across from each other so they could speak.

"So," E. Gadd said hurriedly, "what did Pichu hear at the tournament that's so important?"

"Well, er…" Bowser wasn't sure where to start. But then he decided to first repeat the conversation between Sonic and Shadow. He told of how Shadow revealed himself to be a servant of Master Hand, and how he had helped plan the terrible trap that was the tournament. He described how Shadow had escaped from the Microsoft world, and how the black and red hedgehog had revealed Master Hand's plan to transform the finalists into trophies. "...and the Original 25, whatever that is," Bowser finished.

"Hmmm," Gadd pondered. "So there _have_ been breaches of the Microsoft World. Very interesting. And the tournament was a plot to add to Master Hand's vain life-sized trophy collection. _And_ he is specifically after the Original 25. _Very_ interesting."

"But professor, what exactly _is_ the Original 25?" Bowser looked confused.

" Well, the definition is simple: the Original 25 are the 25 characters that were invited to compete in Master Hand's Melee Tournaments which, as far as we know, were created for his own amusement. Some were not invited at first, but for some reason Master Hand decided to add to the list later on. No one refused because of the temptation of proving themselves greater than the others. As one of them, you know many of these tournaments took place, with mainly the same competitors, but they mysteriously stopped six years ago, when Master Hand began to think about world conquest. But as for the depth of its meaning, I am not an expert on that. We'll have to see some sort of philosopher about that. Is that all, Bowser, or is there more?"

Bowser grinned. "Oh, there most certainly is!" Bowser went on to repeat the words spoken during the final match between Sonic and the Shadow Queen. He expounded to Gadd how the Shadow Queen had revealed herself to be another servant of Master Hand, and how she claimed to be a fused form of both a Floormaster and the Shadow Queen. He stopped for a few seconds, then said, "Oh yeah, and the name of the professor who created it, and who serves Master Hand, was Professor U. Reeka."

"NOOOOO!" Professor E. Gadd shouted, looking crazed. And then he seemed to calm down. "Sorry about that. I was just in denial that he could have returned, but…the truth is the truth, I suppose."

"Wait a minute." Bowser looked confused again. "You mean you actually _know_ this U. Reeka person?"

E. Gadd sighed. "Well, it's a long, long story."

"Hey, I've just told you my story. Now it's your turn."

Gadd sighed again. "Very well. But the responsibility will fall upon you to tell others if they wish to know also. I was born in a mansion in the depths of the Spooky Forest…"

…

At first Mario had thought that they were dead. The step into the light seemed to have numbed their senses for several seconds. And then, in place of the blinding whiteness, was a plain, bright, almost dull blue. It essentially looked just like a plain cheesy blue background, the color not varying in the slightest all around him. And then Mario noticed that he was floating.

The other 53 figures were doing the same nearby. Everyone was just drifting slowly through the air, like outer space, except with no details to define where they were. Some of the Hammer Bros. began to laugh and do acrobatics in midair (or whatever it was), flipping and stroking through the space like water.

But then things began to change. They couldn't tell for sure which direction was which, but from below most of the characters, a light purplish tinge began to spread upwards around them. And after about half of the space was purple, the bottom began to change again to reveal glittering stars and streaks of beautiful red, dark purple, and deep blue colors, giving them a more reassuring sense of existence. The plain blue and light purple areas grew smaller and smaller overhead until they were completely gone.

And they only had a few seconds to take in their extraordinary surroundings when several massive shimmering objects appeared a short distance from the group on all sides. They shimmered more and more slowly until they stopped moving. It took Mario and the others several seconds to realize what these shapes were.

They were the giant devices that were so well known to be among the strange objects in Master Hand's room. However, usually there were two to four plugged-in objects with buttons and analog sticks all over them on one side, and usually there was a giant cartridge with some Nintendo-related picture on it inserted in the giant slots on the top. Some were more square and simplistic, while some were rounded, and a couple of them were vertical and had an enormous screen on the front (one even had two screens).

In case you hadn't already guessed, these were what we know as Nintendo gaming systems, and in this instance every system up to the Nintendo DS was present in a massive form, each rotating slowly. To the Nintendo World, these were mysterious machines used occasionally by Master Hand and Crazy Hand for their own entertainment. There were rumors that these devices served as systems by which Master Hand and Crazy Hand, looking on the television or the screen, controlled digitally animated figures that resembled characters in the Nintendo World.

Even stranger, or even creepier, was the fact that all around them echoed strange sounds that we know are made by these systems, such as beeps, whirs, and buzzes. But these sounds were not coming directly from the floating systems, rather from random directions, which disconcerted many of the Hammer Bros.

After several moments of floating and turning around wildly, Mr. Game and Watch drew up some resolve and began stroking openly towards the one he recognized the best: the Game and Watch.

"Wait, STOP! You don't know what will happen!" General Hammo panicked as he noticed what Mr. Game and Watch was doing. But the 2-D silhouette paid no heed to the general; he just continued to approach his old home, calmly and intently.

"_I SAID STOP!"_ The general was so infuriated and frightened that he actually threw a hammer at Mr. Game and Watch. However, because of their environment, it moved extremely slowly, rotating forward as it moved. Mr. Game & Watch saw the hammer, and dived away to avoid it, but now the hammer had nowhere to stop; it kept moving at the same angle in the same direction, which happened to be directly towards the Nintendo DS.

"NOOOOOO!" Hammo dived towards his straying hammer in vain, crashing into Mr. Game & Watch as the hammer came into contact with the touch screen. It simply disappeared into it.

Then the DS's power seemed to turn on, and the DS logo was displayed on the top screen with the well-known sound to accompany it playing at an almost deafening volume. The touch screen turned extremely bright, with all substance and matter and air being pulled into it like a vacuum, and all 53 explorers began to be rapidly sucked towards the DS. Screams were heard as the first to disappear into the DS, Hammo and Mr. Game & Watch, vanished completely. The starry background rotated faster and faster as Mario, the Ice Climbers, and the rest were pulled into the silver machine, and once again, everything was enveloped in whiteness.

* * *

Character Locations

**Inside Dimension Door:** Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Falco, Goombario, Banjo and Kazooie, Pit, Pichu, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Jigglypuff, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Luigi, Star Wolf, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	21. Chapter 12:2: The History of Elvin Gadd

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{2} The Tragic History of Professor Elvin Gadd**

"But back then, the Spooky Forest was not spooky at all; it was known as the eloquent, beautiful, colorful Woods of Serenity. I lived in a large mansion in the middle of the northern region with my wealthy parents. I used my money to invent the first of my wondrous inventions, such as the very first R.O.B. model and edible silverware.

"I had an uncle called Miles Reeka who lived not too far away in the woods, but he was poor and lived in a small filthy shack with his only son. Countless times my parents offered to bring him out of poverty with no payback necessary, but Miles was too prideful, and always refused, insisting that he didn't need his spoiled brother's help.

"As time went on, I went to school all the way in Fourside City with Miles's son; by that time I had made my first hovercraft, so I was able to secretly pick him up each day without his father's knowledge, who supposed that there was some random school in the middle of the woods that his son went to instead.

"My cousin, who I just called Reeka, turned out to be equally ingenious. At the very beginning we saw this similarity as a reason for friendship, but very soon that short friendship turned into a heated rivalry. No one else was even close to our level of ingenuity, so at every science fair, for every school assignment, project, or test, the rest of our class enjoyed the daily displays of the intense and well-matched rivalry between Gadd and Reeka. It was in high school where everything went wrong.

"You see, as we matured, the nature of our inventions and projects began to clearly differentiate. While I invented a device that allowed wood lice to speak English, Reeka invented a stimulant to make them go into a rage and eat anything they touched. While I discovered the formula to turn water into chocolate milk, he changed it into deadly acid. People began to see me as the beneficiate of the Nintendo World, and Reeka as a dangerous warmonger. Neither of us was favored more than the other by the crowd as a whole, but two separate parties supporting each inventor were formed, often criticizing and mocking the other group.

"One dreadful day, our teacher paired us up and assigned us to create a model of Death Mountain. As luck would have it, Reeka and I were forced to work as a team. While others gathered vinegar and baking soda and brown construction paper, we argued for hours on end on the way we should make our model. I wanted to make it spew out fireworks, but he wanted to make it spurt out actual lava. 'The more realistic, the better!' he claimed. We ended up building two separate volcanoes, such was the height of our disagreement and growing dislike. I built mine like the others, just much more authentic-looking and detailed. As for his… well, I'll tell you.

"After displaying my fireworks, Reeka invited the class on a short field trip to a rock quarry just outside our woods. In the middle of a large ring of rocks, his volcano towered to at least half the height of the Fourside Skyscraper. Reeka explained how he had actually drilled through the ground and created an actual volcano, and had then shaped precisely all the rock formations of Death Mountain. He then said he was going to test his experiment when I intervened. I told him that it was far to dangerous to create such a lava flow so close to the woods, and that he mustn't do it. He wouldn't listen, so I tackled him to the ground before he could activate the controls. He responded by smacking me terribly hard with his Iron-Fist glove. This blow sent me rapidly into the control panel on the volcano, and the force of my body's hit caused the volcano to malfunction.

"The ground began to rumble. Reeka couldn't control anything because of the damage, and said, 'you idiot!' Our class screamed as an enormous jet of lava spurted out of the top of the Death Mountain replica. Because of the malfunctioning, it was tilted at an angle, one that, while not hitting any towns or our class, sent the lava pouring onto our dear forest.

"The fiery destruction caused by that incident not only destroyed the entire forest, but burnt down both my house and Reeka's, killing my parents and his father. Reeka blamed me for the tragedy, yelling that I should not interfere with his experiments, and threatening that the next experiment he made would be aimed towards my demise. He then disappeared for many years.

"However, one day, the daily news reported that his dead body had supposedly been found on Mountain #32, the coldest mountain in the world, where he had built a laboratory to conduct all manner of sinister experiments. I never heard of or saw my cousin again." Professor E. Gadd finally finished.

"Until now," Bowser added. "What was his first name, anyway?"

"His first name?" Professor looked like he was still in heavy flashback mode, but then he suddenly snapped out of it. "Oh, that doesn't matter. What's important is that you know that Professor U. Reeka, my only cousin and my greatest enemy, has somehow survived, and is now wreaking havoc with his terrifying mind under the direct order of Master Hand."

"Wow." Bowser yawned. "That _was_ long. And slightly sad. Well, thanks for the story and all, but I need to be getting back to my castle. Where do you want me to drop you off?"

_Slightly sad?_ Gadd thought solemnly. But he didn't say it aloud. "At the Training Dojo, if you don't mind."

…

Once again, they found themselves in a plain blue environment. This time, however, they were not floating, but were sprawled on an invisible surface, dazed and confused. But after just a few moments, the top of the blue area began to disappear to reveal a blue sky with clouds that had faces. The blue area decreased, revealing more and more of their new surroundings, like a picture being loaded on a computer. After only a few seconds, they had a complete view of their new environment (by now, everyone had gotten back onto their feet).

They appeared to be in a courtyard, one that looked very familiar to Mario and some of the Hammer Bros. There were a couple of sparkling fountains, several trees dotted across it, and evenly cut grass dominating the hilly ground. There was, in front of them, a large white-and-red castle with three pointed towers, the one in the middle being the widest. On the top of this tower was a flag bearing a mushroom, the emblem of the Mushroom Kingdom. There was a small mote that encircled it, and a stone bridge that led to the front doors.

"It's a-Princess Peach's Castle!" Mario exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah!" General Hammo agreed. But both his and everyone else's eyes were wide in surprise. "Except everything's, well…_different._"

Indeed there was a very strange and distinct difference about everything in this Mushroom Kingdom. _Except us,_ Mario noticed. It is hard to describe, but it was like the art style of a photo being changed on Photoshop (sketch, watercolor, etc.). It was that kind of different. Imagine the graphics of a colorful game such as Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. Now take that overhead view, and try to see it from a ground perspective. This is what Mario and the others saw. It was as if someone had lowered the world's resolution.

It took a couple minutes for everyone to get used to their strange environment, and then General Hammo bellowed, "Attention, troops!" There was a quick scramble, and then all of the helmet-clad Koopas were lined up perfectly straight and still, their hands saluting. The General went down the line, fixing positions and taking a quick count, but when he got down to the last Hammer Bro., he exclaimed, "What the flip…There are 53 of you! Troops, we have 3 imposters among us! Name off!"

"One!" A Hammer Bro. near the far end of the line took a step forward.

They went on until 19. After #18 stepped forward, no one else responded.

"Nineteen!" Hammo barked. "Name off now!" But there was no response.

"Oh, no!" Number 18 began shaking. He looked rapidly down the line to his left and right. "Dennis? Where are you?"

Immediately General Hammo marched over to #18 (Mario, Mr. Game and Watch, and the Ice Climbers were just watching from behind the general) and said, "What happened to Dennis?"

"W-well," Number 18 stammered, "when we g-got sucked into th-that strange m-machine, Dennis tried to stroke himself away, but he collided into a giant button that said 'POWER' on it! T-then everything went white, and I didn't see what happened to him! I just assumed he would come with us, but he's g-gone!" ("How can they tell between themselves? They all look exactly the same from here!" Nana asked in a whispered voice. The others just shrugged their shoulders)

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hammo said sadly. "But if #19 is gone, then who's in his― AHA!" He was pointing at a Hammer Bro. near the end of the right side. But on taking a closer look, it was obvious that this one was different. The biggest reason was that he was between one and two feet taller than all the others, and his facial features seemed to be less dynamic than the others'. Also, now that he was being singled out, he was beginning to tremble just like #18, but of a different kind of fear. The fear of being discovered.

"Dang it! How could I have missed that?" The general scolded himself. "Imposter! Reveal yourself!"

The misfit looked left and right, and stuttered in a non-Hammer Bro-like hopeful voice, "I'm, er…a new recruit?"

But the imposter's hope was dashed when Hammo charged forward and tackled him to the ground and tore off his head (or, rather, his mask) to reveal the masquerader's identity.

"Luigi?" Mario exclaimed, shocked like the rest. "Luigi! What are you a-doing here? You're supposed to a-be in the outer islands!"

The general got off of Luigi, staring suspiciously at him. It was apparent that Luigi had found or stolen a Koopa shell and a mask to disguise himself as a Hammer Bro.

Luigi was sobbing. "I'm a-sorry, Mario! I just couldn't a-miss another adventure! I was a-tired of being left out! Please let me a-stay!"

Luigi was kneeling before his older brother, begging and sobbing.

"Now, Mario―" General Hammo warned, but Mario cut him off.

"He a-might as well. We don't a-know how to get a-back anyway. Come on, Luigi." Mario helped Luigi stand up, and patted him on the back.

"Thanks Mario," Luigi said gratefully.

"Wait," said the general, still suspicious. "If #19 is gone, and you're here, then…" He paused to count on his fingers for a few seconds. "…then there are still three more imposters among us! But how…"Hammo snapped his fingers. "I know! Troops, line up for a recital of 'Bowser's Battle Hymn!' One, Two, Ready, GO!"

_We are the loyal followers of Bowser our great King_

_Whose greatness can't be matched in any place that can be seen_

_We'll strive to help him rule in every land and everything_

_His Koops are marching on!_

This was the first verse of a truly irritating and ridiculous song which, as could be guessed, went along to the melody of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The voices of the Hammer Bros. were surprisingly in tune and in unison; it was the laughable lyrics that ruined it. However, by the end of the third verse, Hammo appeared to know who the imposters were. He called off the singing. But just to make sure, he ordered another count-off, watching in particular three consecutive Hammer Bros. in the middle that appeared to look and react just like all the others. Finally, #50 had named off and stepped forward, leaving these three, who had not answered because of the fact that they did not have numbers.

"You three!" The General pointed at the imposters. "Reveal your true selves, or we will incapacitate you."

The phonies froze, staring at Hammo, Mario, Luigi, Mr. Game and Watch, and the Ice Climbers. Then suddenly, they turned and fled towards the castle.

"After them!" Hammo yelled, and the entire party, with the heroes and the general leading, pursued them.

The imposters threw open the front door and dashed inside, slamming it shut behind them right before the first of the pursuers reached it. Hammo flung it open, and then saw the three Hammer Bros. dashing up the staircase. With Mario and the general in the lead, they chased the surprisingly nimble intruders up the right side of the curved staircase leading to another door at the top.

As they rushed through these doors, they entered a large hallway famous for its long, large carpet and its ornately designed pillars. However, like the outside, the inside of the castle had that lower resolution that made everything look and feel so old-school.

At the far end of the hallway, in front of the next door was a Toad with a brown mustache standing next to a lacy pink baby carriage. He was startled by the sudden outbreak of noise and the dozens of foreign figures that appeared to be running straight towards him. He let out a cry and stood in front of the carriage with his arms defensively in front of him, a wailing now coming from the carriage.

The imposters seemed not to mind the idea of trampling innocent bystanders, as they showed no sign of slowing as they approached the panicking Toad and the baby carriage.

But when they were just yards away from colliding into them, something blurred and spinning shot out of the ground and knocked the fake Hammer Bros. backwards onto the floor, looking dazed.

Landing in front of them now were the two tiny figures who had popped out of the ground, each wielding a large metal hammer that looked much too heavy for them to be carrying. They were two infants, both in diapers; one had a red cap with an M on it, the other a green one with an L. The red one was holding up a single uncovered bean, oblivious to all the newcomers around him. This was apparently the prize they had been seeking underground. It was Baby Mario and Baby Luigi.

"Babies!" Mario and Luigi shouted in unison. They couldn't resist leaping forward and embracing their long separated infant selves. The babies laughed and giggled as they were thrown up and down in the air. It had been too long.

"I hate to break up the reunion," General Hammo said impatiently, "but these imposters need to be dealt with now!" But suddenly, the three grounded Hammer Bros. sprang back up, ran towards the right side, and…_jumped out the window_, shattering one of the pricy stained glass depictions of Princess Peach. Everyone who could fit crowded around the hole to see them fall directly through a hollow tree stump swirling and throbbing with watery white and blue swirling patterns.

"No! Don't!" Popo held Hammo back from jumping in after them. "You never know what will happen!"

The young Toadsworth, with his infant Princess Peach, asked Mario what was going on, who explained to the best of his ability where they had come from and what they were trying to find.

"Hmm," Toadsworth pondered. "I have heard of some sort of Power of Dimensions, but it does not exist in this world. Strange portals of the sort your enemies fell through appear occasionally, but no one who enters them ever returns. But it is so good to have you back, Masters Mario and Luigi! Let me offer you some supplies!" Young Toadsworth then proceeded to lead them to the castle shop, where Mario and Luigi filled up on every Bros. item they had ever used. Additionally, they each bought badges for themselves and the babies that allowed the Bros. items to never decrease after use.

"I suppose there's no way to stop the young masters from joining you," Toadsworth said as they were preparing to follow the imposters into the portal. "So I suppose I can only wish you the best of luck, and one final piece of advice: Dimensions are not the sort of things you want to mess with. If a single thing goes wrong, if a single atom is in the wrong position, the whole universe could be distorted horribly and do unimaginably horrible things. So do be careful! Good luck saving the future Princess! Farewell!" Toadsworth and the tiny Princess Peach waved as one by one, the party jumped into the swirling hole, with dimensional balance added onto their list of things to worry about.

On the other side of the courtyard, peering through a gap between two hedges, a seething figure cloaked in red observed this intriguing phenomenon. His strange helmet repaired, and his swirling glasses polished, Fawful whispered to himself, "So…Red and Green have returned. Now I shall spread my mustard of doom throughout the entire sandwich industry! Then…we shall see the finale of the most final finale! I HAVE FURY!"

* * *

Character Locations

**Inside Dimension Door:** Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Falco, Goombario, Banjo and Kazooie, Pit, Pichu, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Jigglypuff, Parakarry, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Luigi, Star Wolf, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	22. Chapter 12:3: The Feathered Rats

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{3} The Feathered Rats **

The Training Dojo in Fourside City had been specially prepared to train both experienced and inexperienced fighters in the art of battle. Anyone who chose to enlist themselves in the Great Nintendo Army (as they called it) was taken to this place, and depending on their previous experience, was enrolled in the appropriate training program. There were six basic levels of skill: Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, and Intense. Most everyone who had never fought before was placed in Very Easy; if they had fought in the Battle of Fourside, they started in at least Normal. The only ones allowed into the Intense difficulty were those who had a well-known history of fighting, and a longtime allegiance to good (those who had fought through the first ten chapters of this story to get there, for instance).

In each level, there were four modes of training to participate in. Each method took up a different branch in the dojo. The first, the simplest, was Sandbag Mode, where one practiced their attacks on one of Gadd's Sandbags which were specially made to never break. They also worked on combo moves and throwing skills.

The second method was Platform Mode, where one began in an obstacle course that was generated to be unique for each character and difficulty. The goal was to land on each of ten special platforms which blinked red if they hadn't been landed on, and turned green when they had been cleared.

The third mode was Target Test, in which an obstacle course was also generated to match each character and skill level. Ten targets, moving or rigid, were placed throughout the course, and one was challenged to destroy all ten targets in the fastest possible time.

The fourth branch was Melee Mode, which was where one could practice fighting other fighters of his/her skill level. Gadd had a special simulator that created a stage for them to fight on, which depended on the difficulty.

When one had mastered each area of training on their current difficulty (except Sandbag Mode, which was for pure practice), they were allowed to try the next skill level, and so on. There were currently hundreds of fighters participating, and progress was booming; Super Toad's brother Bert T., for example, had excelled from Easy to Very Hard in just one week.

Professor E. Gadd was supervising from behind a glass wall the current Melee battle, which was a Normal fight between Dixie Kong and a Koopatrol. The Koopatrol was more aggressive and armored, while Dixie was nimble and speedy like Diddy. The simulated stage they were on resembled a simple platform with two smaller platforms above each side and a higher platform in the middle.

Then a door on one side of the spacious room opened, and two similar-looking people entered the branch and walked up to the professor.

"Professor, can we please ―" Link began, but Gadd cut him off.

"No! I've already told you, you can't go alone to Master Hand's Fortress to try to save Zelda! You will most certainly fail, and I'm telling you again that we need you to go to Hyrule and rally troops!"

"But she's in great danger, and we could try to save the other prisoners too!" Young Link whined.

Professor E. Gadd sighed, and said more calmly, "Look at these fighters." They turned to face Dixie and the Koopatrol's battle, which was still indecisive, but very active. "What are these fighters fighting for?"

"The safety of the Nintendo World from Master Hand's oppression," Link said reluctantly.

Gadd nodded. "Exactly! But what would happen if they went alone to Master Hand's Fortress?"

"They'd lose! But we're stronger ―" Young Link was interrupted by Professor Gadd again.

"Irrelevant! The point is if you go alone you will have no one to support you, no one to watch your back, and it will be impossible for you to go there _and_ escape because of your sheer lack of numbers compared to Master Hand's legions! Besides, chances are Zelda is already ―"

"Don't say that!" Link shouted. "She's too strong to be taken that quickly! They will save her for later, when the weaker prisoners have already been dealt with! We still have time! My younger self and I could still do it!"

Professor E. Gadd was getting impatient. He still had not managed to get his point across. "Take Mario as an example. His princess has been gone from the beginning, and yet he does not run off alone towards Master Hand's room because he knows it is far too dangerous and his skills are needed here. He is now part of a party in another dimension searching for a lost power source. And what have you two been doing? Spending your time trying to convince me to let you leave and mourning yourselves to death over Zelda's loss! If you two don't go to Hyrule, who else do I have to send? Ganondorf?" This idea got a laugh out of all of them: Ganondorf, going to Hyrule to ask for their troops to follow him. "Besides," Gadd continued, "the only way we will be able to save Zelda is to defeat Master Hand and Crazy Hand and their armies, and that CANNOT be done alone! Do you understand?"

Link and Young Link stared at the ground longingly for several seconds, and then Link nodded slowly; Young Link followed his lead.

Professor Gadd smiled. "Good! Now go! You can take one of my Poltergust 4000's in the garage. Choose whichever color you prefer, but don't take the prototype; that one is prone to start out in the wrong direction. Good luck!" The professor shooed them away, and got back to watching the battle before he remembered something. _It's time to see what has happened to the underground headquarters_, he thought, and called for Banjo and Kazooie.

…

Mario and the others found themselves back in the strange astronomic environment they had been in before. As before, the giant replicas of the Nintendo systems rotated slowly, and all around them echoed bizarre beeps and rings originating from these systems.

As they expected, the three Hammer Bros. were nowhere to be seen. They spent several moments looking around, trying to find a sign of where the sneaks might have gone.

Suddenly they all felt a strange wave coming from a certain direction. It was hard to describe; they couldn't physically feel it, but it was more of a mental wave, passing through all of them. It was like a disturbance in the water causing ripples that can only be felt by the instinct one has when he senses something he can't see or feel. And it was clear the disturbance had come from the enormous SNES.

General Hammo looked inquiringly at Mario, who gave an approving nod while piggybacking his younger self, and the General started floating purposefully towards the SNES. Mr. Game & Watch, noticing this, began leaping towards the old system as well. Hammo was seconds away from touching it when Mr. Game & Watch landed on the General's red helmet, and pushed off of it, propelling himself into the SNES, into which he disappeared. The others felt a familiar force pulling them towards the system, but this time they did not resist, knowing that no harm would come to them…unless…

"Number 18! Stay away from that Power Button!" Hammo cried, but #18 simply yelled, "DENNIS!" as he dove into the purple Power switch. Unlike the others, however, his screaming figure turned white, then suddenly disappeared with a flash and a line of white light, like a TV shutting off, his scream still echoing among the peculiar sounds. This was the last thing any of them saw before disappearing into the SNES, with #50 bringing up the rear…

…

Fear and apprehension flowed through Professor E. Gadd, Banjo, and Kazooie as they traveled back down the dark tunnel towards the place which they had thought up until now had been a safe place. They could see the path through the dirty and rocky ground where Orca had dragged himself painfully towards the end. As they approached the cavern headquarters, they could hear no sound, no familiar talking and laughing which they had become accustomed to hearing.

Finally, the entrance was in front of them, but there was only darkness beyond. They could see using Gadd's last remaining Lightatron R.O.B.

"Quiet," The professor whispered to Banjo & Kazooie. He signaled for them to stealthily enter the headquarters. E. Gadd pointed at the wall directly to their right so the R.O.B. would shine on it. "There's the light switch. I wonder if it still works…" He then stepped forward and switched it on.

About one-third of the ceiling lights turned on; the others were broken and shattered on the ground. Because of this, there were lots of areas and corners hidden in darkness. The spacious room revealed itself to be geologically the same as always. However, the place was otherwise in ruins. In addition to the lights, all of the tables, chairs, and various shelves, dishes, and papers were scattered about. Tables and chairs were broken or laying on their sides. Loose papers, shards of glass, and splinters of wood covered the ground and other surfaces. In place of where the small stage and podium had been where Bottles had always given announcements was a mass of splintered wood. The one good thing was that there was little or no blood in view, and no bodies could be seen. It was completely silent.

Professor E. Gadd, Banjo, and Kazooie were too devastated to move. Despite their knowledge of what was coming, it was still a huge shock to see years of work and ideas trashed just like that.

After about a minute, Gadd finally recomposed himself and spoke, "Alright. Let's search for these three survivors. I think we can assume they are here if anywhere, because we would have seen them coming down the tunnel, and they would be fools to leave the other way…"

As the professor looked around, he saw a large scorched area, most likely compliments of Metal Bowser. And as he lifted up some wood, he realized that there actually were numerous bodies buried in the ruins. None of them could he recognize by name, but he felt a deep grief for each life that had been lost, and wondered what percentage of them had been captured instead of killed.

Banjo & Kazooie decided to search the opposite side of Gadd, which was the west side. They too discovered that many Resistance members had been killed, but they noticed that there was hardly any blood at all; the bodies were brutally bruised or broken. Finally, they reached a dark area behind a natural pillar. They saw nothing, but then…

"Hey Banjo, do you hear that scuttling noise?" Kazooie was pointing towards the dark area with her wing.

"Yeah, I do, Kazooie…but what is it?..." Banjo began lifting up objects in the dark area, but then felt something alive move across his hand. "Yeargghh! What was that?" Banjo quickly pulled his hand back.

Kazooie stared harder at the spot, but couldn't make anything out. "It's no good, I can't see…HEY PROFESSOR, GET OVER HERE!"

"Yes?" E. Gadd stumbled quickly over the broken objects to where they were.

Banjo asked, "Could we get light on that spot right there?"

The professor pointed at the dark area, and the R.O.B.'s two jets of bright fluorescent light turned to point at it. It revealed the spot to be littered with splinters and such like the rest of the headquarters, but sitting on top of it were two large mice.

"Oh," Kazooie sighed disappointedly. "Just stupid mice."

"Wait," Professor E. Gadd said. "Those aren't any ordinary mice…" Then Kazooie noticed that both mice had tiny red feathers sticking out of their heads, one with three feathers and the other with one feather. But suddenly the mice darted forward and behind them. "Get them!" Gadd shouted.

The three of them pursued the two zooming mice as they made for the entrance to the tunnel. Finally the mice reached the entrance, but stopped and turned to face them. Gadd, Banjo, and Kazooie stopped in front of the mice.

And before their eyes, the two mice transformed into much larger forms, the feathers still sticking up from their heads.

It was Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba.

* * *

Character Locations

**Inside Dimension Door:** Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers

**Old Headquarters:** Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba

**Fourside City:** Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Fox, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Falco, Goombario, Pit, Pichu, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Jigglypuff, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Luigi, Star Wolf, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Marth, Ness, Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	23. Chapter 12:4: The Dimension Conflux

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{4} The Dimension Conflux**

"Watch out for those a-falling a-viruses!" Mario warned.

The world they were now in was even simpler than the last one. Now it was completely 2-D, including the newcomers. It was very strange because they had a sort of almost third-person view where they could see their own flat shapes as well as others. Mario, Luigi, the Babies, the Ice Climbers, and Mr. Game and Watch happened to be enclosed in two separate groups within two huge rectangles against a blank white background. Because of their rather limited perspective, they could not see outside the boxes. From the top of the boxes, red, yellow, and blue-colored viruses were falling every few seconds, their faces distorted in expressions of mischief, insanity, and creepiness. Once they landed, the viruses began moving towards the boxed in characters, hopping and cackling mischievously.

The Ice Climbers and Mr. Game & Watch stood back-to-back facing away from each other. As each Virus fell down, either Mr. Game & Watch destroyed it with his black flame, or the Ice Climbers eliminated it with their hammers. Meanwhile in the other box, Mario and Baby Mario as well as Luigi and Baby Luigi worked in pairs to defeat the viruses.

Popo had a thought. "Where are the Hammer Bros?" Nana shrugged, and used a spinning technique with her hammer to slam a yellow virus into the side of the box and flatten it.

Suddenly, the boxes and viruses disappeared, and the newcomers were left in complete whiteness.

"Wha…?" Luigi and Baby Luigi blurted out simultaneously.

They turned left and right, confused and lost. Then, about five seconds later, a whole swarm of viruses fighting the Hammer Bros. popped up out of nowhere.

"Mama-mia!" Mario and Baby Mario cried out at once.

But there was nothing for it but to join the fight. The viruses, although small, were very pesky and nimble, and had already weakened many of the Hammer Bros. The fight went on for what seemed like hours, and the viruses seemed to be replenishing themselves innumerably. Then Luigi had an idea.

"Mario!" he shouted. "It's-a Copy Flower time!"

Mario nodded in agreement, and Mario and Luigi simultaneously threw Copy Flowers in front of them, and from the Copy Flowers appeared hundreds of Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi copies that began bulldozing over the swarms of viruses. Within a matter of minutes, there was only one of each color of virus left, and they seemed to have used up their ability to multiply. The viruses were encircled by the copies, the Hammer Bros, the Ice Climbers, and Mr. Game & Watch.

The viruses seemed to converse quietly for a couple seconds. Then the red virus screamed manically, "Self-destruct! Self-destruct!" The three viruses leaped into the air, and began glowing white.

There was a scramble as all the Hammer Bros. and copies panicked and began running away. But just when shafts of light were beginning to come from the three lone viruses, three megavitamins fell from above and collided with each virus. They all stopped glowing, landed on the ground, groaned, and disappeared with a pop.

Seeing as the danger was gone, all of the copies disappeared, revealing a lone figure in the middle of the blank space where the viruses had been. Mario, Luigi, the babies, the Hammer Bros (minus two which had been lost to the viruses, now numbering 47 including the General), the Ice Climbers, and Mr. Game & Watch turned to see who it was, and all of the Melee participants gasped.

"Dr. Mario!" Mario said, surprised. "It's a-you! Do you live a-here?"

Indeed, it was Dr. Mario, the exact form of Mario except with a white doctor's outfit and the circular object strapped to his head in place of the red hat. He had the same voice as Mario too, of course.

Dr. Mario walked towards them. "Yes, I a-do. But I do not always stay a-here. You were a-lucky that I a-happened to just get a-back…" Dr. Mario had been present at many of the SSBM tournaments, but no one really knew where he came from or how he got there. And Mario was especially curious to meet himself.

"Can you a-help us find the…er…Power of the Dimensions?" Luigi asked.

Dr. Mario raised his eyebrows. "Is that a-what you a-seek? But a-why have you a-come such a long a-way for it?"

In about ten minutes, Mario summarized everything that had occurred in the Nintendo World since the last SSBM tournament had ended.

Dr. Mario stood there deep in thought, his hand on his chin. "Hmm. I have missed a lot, haven't I? So you a-need the Power of the Dimensions to defeat Master Hand! Well, I a-guess I a-need to get out of the Dimension Conflux more often. I a-think I will be a-helping you." The others were glad, but looked confused. "Oh! That's a-right! You don't a-know what the Dimension Conflux is! Well, it's a-basically the world beyond the Dimension Door. It's a-made up of every dimension which no longer exists, including my a-world. I a-happen to be the Overseer of this Conflux, and I spend my a-time making a-sure all the other dimensions are in order. I a-happened to have just gotten a-back from 'Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland.' The first Kirby was babbling about a-some enemy mix-up that occurred some a-years ago…but anyways, back to the Power of the Dimensions."

"Now, the Power of the Dimensions is not a single object. There are actually five a-parts that a-make it up. One of them I have a-with me. Two of them are in 'Super Mario Bros.' for the NES. One is in 'Paper Mario', and the last a-one…I do not know of. It is a-said that the one who a-has all five components is unstoppable," The doctor finished.

General Hammo was brimming with curiosity. "So let's see this part that you have, then! What does it do?"

Dr. Mario reached into a pocket of his white coat and brought out a remote-like object with a glass covering over the top. Beneath the glass was a large green button, with two arrows moving in a counterclockwise circle on it.

"This," the doctor explained, "is the Reset Button. But it's not just any reset button that a-lets you start a game over; this Reset Button, if pressed, will cause the flow of time in whatever world it is in to back up exactly 13 a-seconds. It has never been a-used before, and it is said that once it is a-used, it will cease to a-work."

"But why 13 sec-onds?" Mr. Game & Watch asked.

"I don't a-know…it must have seemed like a good number to choose at the time."

"Alright," Nana said, "so we need to collect these components so we can use them to stop Master Hand! Let's go!"

"Wait, I'm not quite a-finished." Dr. Mario held up his right index finger. "There is one more important thing. The one thing in the Dimension Conflux you must NEVER do is a-leave something in a world that doesn't belong in that a-world, or move something from one world to another. This will upset the time continuum, and could a-cause anything to happen, more likely than not disastrous. Now, since I am the Overseer, I have the power to a-travel between worlds at my desire in a much more convenient a-way. So I will a-lead you to find the parts which I a-know of; but as for the last a-part, I will be of no help. To Super Mario Bros. NES first, I suggest?"

"Let's a-go!" Mario agreed.

Dr. Mario proceeded to take out a red and yellow megavitamin and throw it at the empty space in front of him. The megavitamin created a miniature explosion, and seemed to slowly dissolve the whiteness to reveal a very pixilated world with a plain blue sky and brick ground. The dissolved area grew larger until it was big enough for everyone in the large group to fit through, and, with Dr. Mario leading, they entered the artificial rip in the world of Dr. Mario, and came out in the historic world of Super Mario Bros.

…

Professor E. Gadd, Banjo, and Kazooie stared in bewilderment at Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba standing before them. Then, finally, the professor recomposed himself enough to speak.

"How…er…when…er…what happened?"

Mumbo looked out at the destroyed headquarters, tapping his skull-tipped staff in his left hand, and then looked at E. Gadd. "It long story. We here thinking of way to get into fortress, then Wire Frames suddenly burst into room with Metal Bowser and Peach. They destroy everything, kill many, and take many prisoner. I turn Humba and me into mice so we escape. Knock-off Indian shaman ungrateful, but…"

Humba folded her arms and turned away from Mumbo in a huff. Then she began where Mumbo left off in a similar accent but a higher voice, still looking away. "We think they turn prisoners into trophies. Big heap Metal Bowser kill many. We only remaining except shirtless warrior Orca and walking yellow ball Pac-man. Orca go down tunnel to city, but stupid Pac-man go after army to save prisoners. He probably no come back."

At the mention of Metal Bowser, E. Gadd was reminded of his conversation with the real Bowser a little while back. He recalled himself saying, _"We'll have to see some kind of philosopher about that..."_ Perhaps a shaman would have an answer…He decided to chance it.

"What do you know of the Original 25?"

Mumbo and Humba gasped. Humba said, "We know all about Original 25. They be Master Hand's chosen and only bane."

"Wait," Kazooie said, who for once was paying close attention to the discussion. "Are you saying that the Original 25 are the only ones who can defeat Master Hand, who hand-picked them himself? No pun intended?"

"Yes," Mumbo answered. "Master Hand create smash tournaments, and chose 25 fighters to participate. In so doing, he unintentionally selected the ones who can kill him. But, unless they all fight against him together, he still be invincible."

"Unfortunately," Humba continued, "he find out this secret, and now wants them out of his way by turning into trophies. He no kill them unless he have to."

"Well," Banjo said, "we've seen just about all of the Original 25 around here, haven't we?"

"Regrettably, no," Gadd said. "Several of them were taken to Master Hand's fortress about two months ago. We know now for a fact that Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, and Captain Falcon of the Original 25 are now trophies. Ness, Marth, and Zelda remain Master Hand's captives. Several others are now scattered across the Nintendo World and beyond seeking warriors to aid our cause. This leaves only two of which we do not know the whereabouts of: Dr. Mario and Mewtwo."

Mumbo responded, "Me think Dr. Mario live in another dimension. He cannot be from here because Mario here also."

E. Gadd nodded. "Perhaps Mario's company will come across him. Which leaves the captured ones and Mewtwo to us…anyone know where Mewtwo lives?"

"Pichu-Pi!"

"Puff!"

The five characters turned around to see Pichu and Jigglypuff in the entrance of the tunnel leading to the city. Both of them had said simultaneously, "We do!"

Professor E. Gadd was delighted. "Great! Now that you're here, may I ask you to go find Mewtwo and convince him to support our cause?"

Jigglypuff and Pichu looked at each other uncertainly, and then nodded to Gadd, Jigglypuff saying, "Puff, Jigglypuff puff," which meant something along the lines of, "We're not sure, but we can try; our trainer has had dealings with Mewtwo before…"

"Superb. Feel free to use either my Eleportationizer 1.0 or a Poltergust 4000 in the garage," E. Gadd said.

"Pichu Pichu," Pichu said decidedly, which meant, "Mewtwo's location is so discreet that I don't think your Eleportationizer will work, so we'll take the Poltergust with the Pokeball designs on it…I call driving!" Pichu began rushing back along the passage without another word.

"Puff!" Jigglypuff said, which meant, "Oh, no you don't!" Jigglypuff began spinning, and used Rollout to chase after Pichu.

The professor sighed pleasantly. "It's good to have such loyal Pokemon on our side…but what shall we do about the others?"

"Perhaps Pac-man will come through with Marth and Ness." But none of the ones who were there had said it.

They were obliged to turn around again to face the tunnel leading to the tabletop surface where the voice had come from.

"Pac-man, you're back!" E. Gadd said ecstatically. "And you've brought—"

"—Marth and Ness, yes," Pac-man said with a huge grin on his face. "I didn't see Zelda, though…" Beside him stood, as Pac-man said, Marth and Ness. They both looked very shaken and weary, but they seemed alright otherwise.

"Now," Gadd said, looking thoroughly pleased, "all that is left for us is to prepare."

"For what?" Humba asked.

"For the war, of course," Gadd replied.

* * *

Character Locations

**Dimension Conflux (Dr. Mario, Nintendo 64):** Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, 3 Imposters

**Old Headquarters:** Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman

**In Search of Mewtwo:** Pichu, Jigglypuff

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	24. Chapter 12:5: The Invisible Block

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{5} The Invisible Block**

Everything was 2-D and pixilated in 'Super Mario Bros', including the new arrivals. Mario, Luigi, and the Hammer Bros. had been transformed into their old 8-bit versions, while Mr. Game & Watch looked almost the same except without rounded edges; the Ice Climbers were in their Ice Climber NES version, Dr. Mario looked just like Mario except with a black line in place of the red hat and as close to a white coat as could be made with a very limited amount of pixels, and the Babies were not much more than red and green specks. Also, in this world everyone seemed incapable of speaking. There would have been an awkward silence without the memorable music in the background.

They were on a plain brick ground with a plain blue sky and a cluster of brick blocks above them. Mario began to walk to the right, and the screen began scrolling. The large group of Hammer Bros and the others followed. But when Mario stopped and began to walk the other way, the screen didn't stop scrolling, and now a gap had appeared in the brick ground from the right side.

In a panic, everyone began running forward to keep up with the strange automated scrolling. They all jumped over the gap, but one Hammer Bro slipped and fell in the gap. As they continued to run, a Super Mario death sound was heard, and the Hammer Bro disappeared.

Now in even more of a panic, the group continued to move through the stage, jumping over gaps and maneuvering around brick platforms. Goombas and Koopas were beginning to appear, and the level seemed to go on and on. Three more Hammer Bros fell either in gaps or to enemies, although most enemies Mario and Luigi disposed of in the front by jumping on them or with fireballs. Any ones they didn't dispose of, the Hammer Bros attacked by throwing spinning black hammers and jumping up and down, creating a virtual wall of hammers that a player would find impossible to maneuver through, let alone simple static enemies.

It became more and more difficult to survive, as now they found themselves jumping from mushroom to mushroom, swimming, and avoiding Bullet Bills, Spinies, Lakitus, and flying Koopas. Five more Hammer Bros succumbed to the increasing difficulty; only 39 Hammer Bros remained when they finally reached the flag near the castle at the end. Mario and Luigi leaped at the same time from the stair-like platform to grab onto the top of the flag, but only Mario actually held on to it, while Luigi soared clearly over the top of flag post and landed on his head on the other side like a broken firework.

Finally, when everyone had reached the castle, the screen stopped scrolling. Everyone's thoughts were very confused and panicky except Dr. Mario, wondering what would happen next. Dr. Mario continued past the castle a few steps, turned to the group, jumped twice in an indication for them to follow him, and disappeared into a horizontal green pipe a little further on. The rest hurriedly followed suit for fear of losing their guide.

A few seconds after they had all disappeared down the warp pipe, three more Hammer Bros. passed the flag and proceeded down the pipe as well, a sense of silent urgency and pursuit about them.

The party, upon entering the dark blue underground cavern, began to resume the chase from the left side of the scrolling screen. Here, they experienced moving platforms, Buzzy Beetles, Swoopulas, and Piranha Plants as they traversed the long dangerous tunnel. Their surroundings seemed so very primitive, yet were just as deadly as the real world. It seemed as if the tunnel would never end; the only good thing was that Dr. Mario seemed to know where he was going, and the remaining Hammer Bros. were becoming more accustomed to the pattern of running and jumping: only one more was lost for the duration of the level.

Finally, they reached the warp pipe at the end which led to the flag on the surface. This time, Mario and Luigi leaped in unison off the brick staircase, but Luigi, using Mario's head as leverage, pushed off of it and grabbed the top of the flag, sliding down triumphantly. Mario tumbled to the ground, and stood up only to be knocked back down with Luigi landing on him.

But this time, before Dr. Mario could lead them to the next area, three hammers flew from the left side of the screen and KO'd three more Hammer Bros, reducing the count to 35. The imposters responsible entered the screen, looking exactly the same as the other Hammer Bros, but separated by a short distance and facing each other. Mario and the others prepared to fight, but before they could do so, one of the imposters brought out a POW block, placed it in the air, and hit it, knocking everyone else down. The three guilty Hammer Bros. then jumped over the group and continued down the path, bouncing on several of them in the process.

After a few seconds, Dr. Mario leaped back up, the rest soon following. The doctor jumped up and down frantically as if to say, "Hurry! We can't let them escape; they'll reach the Superstar and Life Shroom before we do!"

They hurriedly began running forward, and soon came to face a large castle barring there way; there was no other choice but to enter.

Inside, they found yet another level to progress through, but one which was now even more dangerous than the other two. There were fireballs, lava pits, Dry Bones, Thwomps, huge moving stone blocks, and hazardous spikes. At one point Dr. Mario thought he saw part of a Hammer Bro on the far right of the screen, but it seemed to speed up and disappeared. Finally, when they reached the large pit of lava with a bridge over it, now numbering 31 Hammer Bros, they found the three imposters on the right side of the bridge waiting for them. The axe-like object which would destroy the bridge was right next to them. Dr. Mario halted before walking onto the bridge, for the imposters had the power to destroy the link which would allow them to follow, and then all would be lost.

Dr. Mario tentatively began to move forward, but one of the Hammer Bros went close to the axe threateningly. Dr. Mario jumped up and down in protest, but then the Hammer Bro moved forward and touched the axe.

The bridge was destroyed piece by piece from the right to the left, so Dr. Mario barely had time to jump back onto his side, while the imposters disappeared down the right side of the screen.

Dr. Mario and the rest began jumping up and down frantically, not knowing how they would get across, or even escape the other way. After a few moments, Popo and Nana stepped forward, and hit Freezies into the lava pit. The Freezies melted into the lava with a loud hiss, but now the lava seemed slightly less hot and fierce. The Ice Climbers continued to dish out Freezies, making the lave cooler and cooler, until finally it was just brown rock which they could safely walk across. The group dashed across the rock, jumped back onto the stone of the castle, and proceeded into the next room, where they found Toad waiting for them.

A message box appeared at the top of the screen, and words appeared while the Toad made talking motions. The words read,

"Thank you for saving me! But the princess is in―"

Dr. Mario, realizing this strange way to communicate, interrupted Toad with words of his own: "We're not looking for the princess. We're looking for the Life Shroom and the Superstar. Do you happen to know where they could be?"

The Toad panicked and looked frightened as he replied in the box, "Yes! I had the Superstar, but those three Hammer Bros came by and stole it from me! They went that way!" The Toad pointed to the right (as if there were any other way they could have gone).

"Alright, thanks!" Dr. Mario replied in text, and then did his two jumps indicating for the group to follow him. After they exited the castle, they found themselves at another staircase and flag, but there was a discrete black spot on the other side of the flag, which rippled and caused the area around it to distort.

"Okay," Dr. Mario said in text, "the imposters exited the world through this hole. They have the Superstar, so we'd better go after them. We can come back later for…"

But Dr. Mario halted in his speech as he watched Mario and Luigi's final contest for possession of the flag. Luigi got a head start, but as he jumped off the edge of the stairs, his head hit an invisible block which now appeared, and he tumbled to the ground while Mario triumphantly grabbed the flag and slid down; but instead of just bouncing off Luigi's head at the bottom, he purposely kicked him over while still holding the flag, and used the force of the push to execute a high jump while spinning and flipping extremely fast; Mario landed with a fancy victory pose while fireworks sparkled in the background and the message box read, "Let's a-go!"

Meanwhile, what got Dr. Mario's attention was that from the previously invisible block appeared nothing less than the Life Shroom, which the doctor caught as it fell off of the block.

Luigi got up grumbling and made a move to rush at Mario, but Nana, who was behind him, froze him with a Freezie before he could do anything.

"Alright!" Dr. Mario said in the text. "Now let us make haste, else the imposters escape…"

Everyone then followed Dr. Mario into the black rift, Nana hitting the frozen Luigi into the hole with her hammer before entering last.

…

In front of Pichu and Jigglypuff loomed a steeply sloping mountain. It did not seem to have a peak; the top either was flat or curved down like a crater. After looking at the mountain, Jigglypuff reignited the Poltergust 4000 with a Poke'ball decal on the sides, and they continued up the mountain where the trail had ended. They had to avoid trees, small bushes, and ditches on their way, but did not meet any wildlife.

Pichu and Jigglypuff were in the northern region of the Unknown Land, which was named simply because it did not seem to fit in with any of the other regions, and no particular type of people or creatures seemed to live there.

The Poltergust 4000 proceeded up the mountain until they finally reached the top, where they found that it indeed curved downward, and in the middle was a glass-like lake. The afternoon sun reflected upon the still water, dazzling their eyes.

At this point Jigglypuff and Pichu dismounted the vehicle and turned off the engine; they walked tentatively towards the silent lake.

"Pichu?" Pichu called out in an unsure manner, which meant "Mewtwo? Can you hear us?"

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff said, which meant, "We need to speak with you! It's very important!"

They waited for several minutes, but nothing happened.

But as they began to turn back towards the Poltergust 4000, they noticed a slight shimmering in the lake. The shimmering gradually turned into ripples, and then into small waves, moving in great rings towards the shore on all sides. The waves grew bigger and bigger, but somehow did not spread over the boundaries of the lake; in the middle a very deep hole in the water began to form. It grew to about the diameter of an inner tube, then stopping growing. The rings of rippling waves subsided.

From the depths of the hole in the lake shot up a blurred figure, creating a splash which caused the watching Pokemon to get wet. The man-sized figure halted about twenty feet above the lake and faced the visitors, and Pichu and Jigglypuff had to wipe the water out of their splashed eyes to see the Pokemon in front of them.

"Pi-Pichu!" Pichu cried as he recognized the legendary cat, which meant "Mewtwo!" You're here! We have a lot to tell you!"

Mewtwo's penetrating stare intimidated the young Pokemon, but the fact that they had met before improved their courage. The purplish cat Pokemon, in the rough shape of a human, and with a tube extending out of the back of his head and connecting with the back, hovered with his arms folded and considered the Pokemon. Rather than speak out loud, he used telepathy to convey his messages, while Pichu and Jigglypuff continued to talk.

_"There is no need to explain, young ones. I make my residence within this mountain, but that does not mean that I do not get out and about…whether I am noticed, now that is another matter…I know of everything which has been going on in the world up until last week. What is it you want?"_

Jigglypuff said, "Puff Jigglypuff puff!" which meant something along the lines of "A lot has happened in the last week, Mewtwo. And we need your help." Jigglypuff then explained everything that had happened in the last week: the tournament, the near total destruction of Fourside City, and the gathering forces of the growing Great Nintendo Army.

Mewtwo paused for a moment afterward, taking it all in. _"Bottles is dead? I can't believe it…he was a great leader…and Crazy Hand left taking only one captive? Very strange…so now I assume you want me to join this army of yours?"_

Pichu and Jigglypuff nodded simultaneously.

_"Well, then, that is very well."_ Mewtwo closed his eyes. _"But this is all sounding much simpler than it must be. I have always been against Master Hand…but why has he been so merciful when he could have destroyed us all long ago? Is he toying with us? Seeking for personal amusement? It is all very unclear…"_ Mewtwo opened his eyes again. _"I will join your Resistance movement…on one condition…"_

Pichu and Jigglypuff jumped for joy. "Pichu Pi-Pichu?" Pichu asked, which meant, "What is your condition, Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo unfolded his arms, and spun around once, as if he were waking his energy. _"You tell me a group has gone to a dimension beyond this one…to seek a hidden power source…I require only a piece of that power…it should be in the form of a sphere glowing with many colors with the SSB symbol emblazoned upon it…do you accept these terms?"_

Jigglypuff paused for a moment, thinking. _Well, what harm could a sphere possibly be in the hands of such a wise and powerful friend as Mewtwo?_ she thought.

"Puff!" Jigglypuff agreed.

"Chu!" Pichu acknowledged.

_"Excellent,"_ Mewtwo said impassively, his eyes sparkling. _"Now let us proceed back to your headquarters."_

Pichu and Jigglypuff jumped excitedly and pointed towards the Poltergust 4000.

Mewtwo laughed. _"Let us not waste time traveling by a silly machine such as that! I will teleport us there along with the machine with my mind…"_

Mewtwo closed his eyes again, this time in concentration, and with a twinkling flash the three Pokemon and the vehicle vanished from the lake, which closed in on the hole and resumed its normal glass-like appearance.

* * *

Character Locations

**Dimension Conflux (Super Mario Bros NES):** Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, 3 Imposters

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	25. Chapter 12:6: Luigi Forgets His Hat

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{6} What Happens When Luigi Forgets His Hat**

By now Mario and the rest were becoming exceedingly tired of appearing in worlds of varying dimensions and graphical quality; nevertheless, they found themselves in yet another strangely-dimensioned world, this time with a 2.5-D perspective.

For, comical as it was, they were now in the world of 'Paper Mario', and therefore, each of them were 2-D cartoons with roughly cut paper outlines. Mario, Luigi, and the Hammer Bros were accustomed to this appearance, but it was strange for them to have reverted to this state after such a long time. Mr. Game & Watch looked exactly the same except his white outline was thicker and looked like a cut-out. Dr. Mario was of the same appearance as Mario except with his doctor clothes, the babies could no longer be carried on Mario and Luigi's back due to the fact that they were all paper-thin, and the Ice Climbers were amazed at their own simple coloring and the sudden lightness of their hammers.

To make things even more bizarre, the location they found themselves in looked positively childish: they were in a large room shaped like a quarter-circle with them facing the corner. The ground and walls were covered with poorly-matching brightly colored red tiles. There were giant red playing blocks with letters on them stacked in clusters around the room. Finally, stretching across the quarter circle room in an arc parallel to the wall behind them was what appeared to be a train track, which disappeared into tunnels on each of the straight edges of the room. To go with it was a red boarding station in front of the railroad tracks and a red Shy Guy waiting on it with an authoritative-looking hat, apparently being the boarding captain (all of this obviously matching the colorful papery 2.5-D feel).

Mario, evidently familiar with the area of Shy Guy's Toy Box, walked up to the red Shy Guy and began speaking with it.

The Shy Guy exclaimed, "Yeah, there were three strange Hammer Bros here just a couple minutes ago! They took the train, actually…I'm sorry, but if you want to find them, you'll have to go the long way…" It pointed to another opening near the curved wall on the right side. Mario nodded appreciatively and walked back to the group.

"It a-looks like we're a-going the long a-way," he said obviously.

"We'd better a-hurry before they a-get the a-Pencil as well…" Dr. Mario replied.

"Pen-cil?" Game & Watch asked curiously.

"Right!" General Hammo said firmly. He pointed at the opening they were to go through. "Hammer Brigade A, forward, MARCH!"

The party scurried through the opening, three by three at widest. They entered another room which looked very similar to the first one except the tiles on the floor and walls, the boarding station, the giant playing blocks, and the Shy Guy waiting on the station were all blue.

But this time there was a small whirring and steaming train engine parked behind the boarding station, and three Hammer Bros were disappearing into an opening in the curved back wall.

"That wasn't much of a long way," Nana murmured.

"After them!" Hammo bellowed; the long line of Hammer Bros followed Mario, Dr. Mario, the Ice Climbers, and Mr. Game & Watch into the curved opening.

Inside they found a rectangular room with a tall pyramid of giant multi-colored blocks taking up most of the space. The three Hammer Bros. were seen to be hastily climbing over the blocks in an obvious attempt to reach the top.

"Hammer throw!" the General bellowed, resulting in all of the Hammer Bros. tossing hammers at the three scaling figures. Two of the imposters were hit and fell down, but one avoided all the projectiles, and was about to reach the top…

…when Popo and Nana, using their famous cooperative jumping trick, soared over the Hammer Bro and landed on the summit. The sneak began to turn around to flee, but was not able to escape before he was hit by two Freezies, tumbling down the block pyramid encased in ice.

The Ice Climbers did their fighter stance and, looking behind them on the top of the structure, found inside a sizeable treasure chest a simple but large pencil, short, thick, and unimpressive.

Once the imposters had finally been incapacitated by other Hammer Bros, Dr. Mario took time to congratulate the Ice Climbers on their achievement, and told them that they could keep the Pencil for now.

"This a-Pencil will be a great aid to us in the war," Dr. Mario assured.

The three false Hammer Bros began to shimmer, and to flicker from their former appearances. The group watched with bated breath; finally, the impostors who had troubled them during this whole quest would finally be revealed. But the result was not quite what they expected, such as paper ghosts or other such imitators.

Even though they were paper, it was easy enough to tell that the outlines of the three figures were of Ganondorf, Mr. Game and Watch, and Mario. And each one had a distinct metallic sheen instead of actual color and features; they were metal.

But before they could say or do anything, the ground, no, the whole world began to shake, and things began to distort horribly.

"Alright!" Dr. Mario called out furiously as colors mixed into other colors, shapes blurred, and most everything became unclear. "Did anyone leave anything behind somewhere?"

Mario looked over at Luigi and gasped. "Luigi! Where's you're a-hat?"

Luigi felt above his head for his hat, but only felt his brown hair. "Oh, no!" he said, panicking.

"That a-would explain it," Dr. Mario sighed, shaking his head.

From the opening to the blue train station, a white-clad Shy-Guy, despite the chaos of the situation, remained remarkably calm, his distinguished hat and medal-clad uniform giving him an impressive appearance for his size. He had simply been watching what happened, and then disappeared back into the opening. _A war, did they say?_ he thought.

At last, the world was distorted so horribly and shaking so violently that nothing was recognizable or distinct; the colors swirled together until they created a thick black blankness…

…

The first foreign fighters to arrive in Fourside City were, obviously, the Pokemon; this was simply because the Kanto Region was the closest to the sector of the city where Nintendo forces were gathering. This also explained why Jigglypuff, the appointed scout to the Kanto Region, had returned in time to embark with Pichu on their venture to find Mewtwo.

The battalion of Pokemon was like no other. Rather than trained soldiers marching in lines with similar weapons, they came in scores of different species, large and small, fast and bulky, airborne and grounded, intermingled and unorganized only by appearance. It was a mix of every kind of strength and talent, a true sign of the spirit of unity against the Enemy. The interesting part of it was that Jigglypuff had not needed to travel deep into her homeland, nor call abroad in very wide a distance to create a chain reaction summoning this conflux of creatures; the instincts of all Pokemon had already been aware since the Battle of Fourside City that war was coming, and they all agreed in supporting the cause of freedom and acting against the evils of corrupt creation which was Master Hand's great and abominable crime.

However, at the current time, the Pokemon were the only ones as of yet (aside from those already in Fourside City since the dreadful conflict of the previous week) who had reached the city, and information was sparse while time seemed to be steadily running out for the growing Resistance force which was rapidly becoming an Alliance of the different regions of the Nintendo World, gathering together to fight the tyranny of the one who, up until six years ago, had seemed but another strange resident of the Nintendo World. But now this previously reclusive being was rising up against the world around him, seeking to submit everything to his sinister will, destroy everything and everyone opposed to his desires or against his unethical ideals, and ultimately gain conquest over that which he had, once upon a time, sought to protect from foreign lands. All the while Master Hand had sought to amuse himself with acts of irrational mercy in order to fool the world's residents into believing that they still stood a chance at victory; he also forsook the rights of a living being to act according to one's own will and enjoy life by making living creatures and people into a vain collection of trophies for the purpose of his own cruel satisfaction.

Now an army would be gathered to oppose this seemingly omnipotent threat; progress seemed to be happening, but at what rate, no one within Fourside City knew. All that Professor E. Gadd knew was that the messengers had been sent, and so far only the Pokemon had returned. He was not unduly worried about this, for it did not seem unreasonable to allow the regions further away than the Kanto Region more time to muster fighters and bring them here. He was even more excited when Pichu, Jigglypuff, and Mewtwo suddenly appeared right outside his lab. He had just been returning to the lab after talking for a while with Pacman, Marth, and Ness when they teleported in front of him as he approached the building.

"Pichu!" Pichu exclaimed to the professor, which meant something along the lines of "Professor! We've brought Mewtwo!"

"Puff…" Jigglypuff said matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes. Her speech translated to "Thank you for stating the obvious, Pichu."

Mewtwo stared penetratingly at E. Gadd, his arms folded. _"So…you are the leader of this…Resistance?"_ he communicated telepathically.

The professor, however, did not seem even slightly intimidated by Mewtwo, but rather cheerful. "Yes, that's me! You must be Mewtwo. Pleased to meet you!" E. Gadd extended his hand as if to shake hands with Mewtwo, but getting the notion that Mewtwo was not the type of being to exchange such greetings with, he retracted his hand. "Have these two discussed the purpose and goal of the Resistance, and extended an invitation for you to join?" He indicated to Pichu and Jigglypuff, who both nodded.

_"Yes, they have,"_ Mewtwo responded. _"And I have agreed to assist your cause so long as certain…conditions…are met."_

Professor E. Gadd frowned quizzically. "Conditions? What might these be?"

Pichu and Jigglypuff proceeded to explain that Mewtwo desired a glowing sphere that was part of the power in the other dimension.

The professor thought for a moment. "Well, I personally don't have a problem with that. But what if the circumstance arises in which the party returns and is unable to obtain this item?"

_"Then,"_ Mewtwo said simply, _"your cause will be doomed to failure."_ Without waiting for a reply, Mewtwo vanished with a flash.

"Gadzooks! Well, that was unruly!" E. Gadd said almost angrily.

* * *

Character Locations

**Dimension Conflux (Paper Mario: Shy Guys' Toy Box):** Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, 3 Imposters

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca


	26. Chapter 12:7: The General's Passion

**Chapter 12: The Shamans and the Sneaks**

**{7} The General's Passion**

The blackness cleared. Everyone awoke to find themselves 3-D once more, which was a relief. However, if it was possible, they seemed to themselves a bit _too_ 3-D. Each character was now even more well-defined, detailed, and realistic than they were normally: Mario and Luigi could see the texture on their overalls, the Ice Climbers' parkas were softer and fuzzier, the Hammer Bros.' helmets now shone with intricacy, Metal Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, and Ganondorf had extremely well-defined shiny metallic features, and Mr. Game & Watch ―was still exactly the same. Also, for some reason, Dr. Mario's appearance had not changed at all.

They rested on a single large flat floating hulk with three small platforms spaced above it. On the Battlefield were small bushes and very detailed dirt ground. Surrounding the floating landmass was a beautiful grassy landscape complete with mountains, streams, and a very colorful setting sun, causing the sky to be ablaze with shades of yellow, orange, and pink.

Mario, like the others, was agape in wonder. "Where are we?"

Dr. Mario got up, looking at their surroundings. "If I am a-correct, the malfunction a-caused by Luigi caused the dimensions to a-tremble and blend; the a-force of the contacts shot us up through the dimensional a-boundary, since we were at the a-center of the disturbance. We are now not in an old dimension, but a new one; we are in the a-future."

Oblivious to the shock of the others, Mr. Game & Watch did not look well. "The fut-ure?" he said faintly. "I can't take this ve-ry long…I was just get-ting used to the nor-mal world…"

"Look!" The Ice Climbers simultaneously pointed upwards with their hammers. As the rest followed their gaze, they laid their eyes upon a miraculous ball, glowing and shining with wondrous colors, and the Super Smash Bros. insignia blazing upon it.

"That," Dr. Mario said, "must be the final Power of the Dimensions."

Suddenly they heard a cry and turned around to see three Hammer Bros. get smashed off the stage by the metal entities.

"Alright, then, a fight to the finish!" General Hammo hollered as he leapt forward with his hammer towards the metal figures.

The landmass, which now seemed rather small for the 28 Hammer Bros, 3 metal clones, and 8 others, was now rumbling with action as the metal clones leaped over the cluster of Hammer Bros and landed on the top platform.

"Watch out!" Dr. Mario cried as most of the Hammer Bros tried to jump onto the same platform. "They have a―" But Metal Ganondorf had already thrown the Poke'ball which had been lying on the ground, and out of it came a huge, monstrous Pokemon with red plates, a spiked tail, and deadly-looking claws.

"Groudon!" General Hammo cried, but too late. Every single Hammer Bro, besides the general, had fallen into the clones' trap; the legendary Pokemon let out a large roar, and its body burned with a massive flame, engulfing the remainder of General Hammo's Hammer Brigade A in deadly flames. Afterwards, Groudon vanished, leaving only black scorch marks and blackened helmets, hammers, and shells.

"YOU! WILL! PAY!" Hammo screamed, as the valiant grieving general leapt onto the top platform and smashed Metal Ganondorf in the head with his hammer. The wooden mallet had nothing against solid iron, however, and it splintered in Hammo's hands off of the metal head. Metal Ganondorf responded with a quick but very brutal punch to the gut, knocking Hammo off of the high platform onto the Battlefield unconscious.

"Let's a-go!" Mario, Luigi, and the Babies cried out simultaneously, and they, along with the Ice Climbers, Game & Watch, and Dr. Mario, leapt onto the top platform. As they passed from beneath, however, Metal Mario did a sweeping kick, knocking away the Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Mario, and Luigi. The Babies jumped out of their older selves' backs as they fell, and slammed Metal Mario with their stone hammers, which did some damage, knocking it off the platform.

Meanwhile, Mr. Game & Watch shook a small black platform below Metal Mr. Game & Watch, knocking him off also.

As soon as they did this, Metal Ganondorf shoved the Babies and Game & Watch with his shoulder, sending them off flashing with a purple effect.

"NO!" Dr. Mario cried, but before anyone else could return to the top platform, Metal Ganondorf jumped into the air, and did his third jump, grabbing the glowing sphere at the height of the feat.

And as if by some otherworldly force, the three metal imposters flickered in and out of appearance, more and more frequently until they were gone.

"Babies!" Mario and Luigi cried, for both the Babies were unconscious. They gently picked up the tiny bodies and placed them on their backs.

Dr. Mario, Game & Watch, Popo, and Nana looked at the devastated Battlefield: scorch marks, burning shells and hammers, General Hammo's failing body. The sun had now set behind them, and the overly-detailed night was dark, cold, still, and lonely.

"We've got to a-go to your world," Dr. Mario said decisively, looking grimly at Hammo. "They have a-two of the Powers of the Dimensions; we have a-three. There can be no a-more delay; we must join you're a-war and fight to see what a-comes out of all this."

With that, Dr. Mario threw a red and yellow megavitamin, creating a rip in the dimensional fabric, going through into the building with the two locked doors.

First Dr. Mario, then Mr. Game & Watch, next Mario and Luigi carrying the injured babies, lastly Popo and Nana, carrying Hammo's body, the heroes filed through the rip, their mission partially accomplished, but every face grim and discouraged.

**END OF CHAPTER...**

* * *

Character Locations

**Dimension Conflux (Paper Mario: Future Battlefield):** Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Parakeet, Toad, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Rito Postman?

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow  
**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	27. Chapter 13:1: A Return to Reality

**Chapter 13: The Gathering**

**{1} A Return to Reality**

"…and that's how we a-journeyed to and escaped the Dimension Conflux with three a-parts of the Power of Dimensions," Mario finished explaining to the professor while cradling the unconscious Baby Mario in his arms.

The survivors of the previous ordeal in the future Battlefields were gathered wearily (or unconsciously) inside Professor E. Gadd's lab, and they had just recently been taking turns relaying each part of their strange venture into the Dimension Conflux, from which much had been gained and lost. The professor listened along with Banjo and Kazooie and Mewtwo, the latter having appeared instinctively when his psychologically superior powers had prompted him that the adventurers had returned. The Babies breathed harshly from their future selves' concerned arms, and General Hammo lay in critical condition in the hospital. Other than that, the original party minus the Hammer Bro. battalion was there, and each took their turn to tell a section of the events, Dr. Mario already having established himself as a definite member of the Resistance and the expert on the Dimension Conflux.

As the survivors talked, the listeners rarely if ever interrupting, they gazed at the complex technological machines and wonders surrounding them: whirring and steaming pipes, flashing buttons and switches, rotating and spinning wheels and pistons, blue, green, and red electricity bouncing inside glass domes, spheres, and tubes, and much more. The background helped set the mood of discovery and bizarre but wonderful things.

"So let me get this straight," Kazooie said blatantly. "You left with fifty Hammer Bros. and lost _all of them?_ It sounds like they were of no help after all!"

"Well, ac-tu-al-ly, no," Game and Watch replied. "When we were at-tacked by the vir-us-es, we would nev-er have made it out al-ive with-out their help. The met-al fol-low-ers could al-so have tak-en us out by sur-prise if we had been al-one…"

"But still," E. Gadd said regretfully, "this is a terrible loss, and we have yet to find out if it will have been worth it. Three out of five isn't bad, I suppose, but it may be harder with some of the Power of Dimensions working against us…which ones exactly did Master Hand's cronies make off with?"

"We a-have the Reset Button, the Life Shroom, and the Pencil," Dr. Mario explained, "and Master Hand a-has the Superstar and the…um…what should we call it…the Smash Ball?" Unsure of what to name the glowing ball, the doctor/plumber went with this simple title.

At this, Mewtwo's dark eyes burned. _"The Smash Ball is in Master Hand's grasp? This is an ill fate indeed, yet not hopeless since it has been found. Obtaining this item must be among our top priorities. Without the Smash Ball, all will be lost."_

"Hmm…" the professor pondered with his hand on his chin. "Everything you have told us points towards one course of action: attacking Master Hand across the Battlefields and assaulting him in his own domain, in his own fortress. I thank you all exceedingly much for the great asset you have brought to our side through this venture, but now it is time to move on: the time to wage our last battle against Master Hand draws near, and I expect the rest of our army to be arriving soon…"

"Wait," Luigi said, "what should we a-do with the Power of Dimensions that we a-have?"

"Keep them for now," E. Gadd responded. "We should not need their use until the battle, and I can not think of anyone else better to use them than the ones who found them."

Dr. Mario then said, "In that a-case, the Life Shroom belongs to a-you, Luigi. After all, you are the one who…found it."

Dark thoughts entered into Luigi's mind, but he gratefully accepted the large green mushroom, trying to ignore Mario's chuckle beside him. He had resolved to never attempt to jump onto a flag again.

"Before we part, I think I am forgetting something important, but I can't quite think of it," the professor said, thinking hard.

"Well, has the Dimension Door been locked?" Banjo asked.

Professor E. Gadd smacked himself on the forehead. "Thank you, Banjo! No, it hasn't! We'd better hurry and lock that so that no one else accidentally goes in…or out…where is the key, anyway?"

Mario reached into the bib on his overalls and pulled out the shiny key. "Right a-here, professor." He handed the key to E. Gadd.

"Thank you, Mario. What does the N.D. stand for, anyway? Did anyone ever figure that out? Is it New Dimension?"

Dr. Mario laughed. "No, actually. It a-simply means Not Digestible. If someone were to a-swallow it, it would remain inside you and a-cause all sorts of internal problems. Trust me, I a-know." Dr. Mario winked. "I'm a doctor."

…

At this point in the story, the goals and visions of the Resistance, no, the Nintendo Alliance, were zooming in on one purpose, and one only: to strike down Master Hand and his followers, forever ridding the Nintendo World of not necessarily all evil, but of evil of the worst kind― one that seeks not only world domination, but control over creation and individuality itself, something not even Ganondorf or Bowser could equal. This coincided with the intent to, if possible, rescue all those who had been forced through the indignity of being immobilized into the form of a rigid trophy.

But of course, in order to fulfill this vision, there were many goals needing to be accomplished to bring them closer to their vision, and many steps needing to be completed in order to reach each of their goals. The goal of sending word and uniting the different regions to assist in the war was now accomplished; now the primary goal most were concerned with was guiding the fighters to the designated meeting place in Fourside City, and training them sufficiently in order to face what they expected to be weak but numerous opponents.

Over the next several days, various things were happening. The weary trekkers rejuvenated from their awkward yet unique mission to the Dimension Conflux. General Hammo slowly recovered from his physical ailments, but he was forever changed; there seemed to be a part of his fierce and commanding personality that was no longer there. Bowser had successfully finished gathering his addition to the army, which was large to behold: hundreds each of Koopas, Goombas, Paratroopas, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, and every other Mario enemy that could be named joined the congregation of Pokemon on the newly-formed barren plain in northern Fourside City. This force, although slightly larger than the swarms of Pokemon, was more orderly, and each unit of a species seemed nearly exactly alike to another.

The Training Dojo continued to buzz with activity and rapid progress, and every day more and more new recruits walked into the lobby and applied for the training. Those that had completed their training joined the ranks of the growing army in northern Fourside, and those who had fought through this entire story up until now and had passed the Intense difficulty dictated, organized, and led the others to provide assistance to those needing it, and to reach the maximum efficiency of the training program.

One day, those who watched the city's southern borders cried out in excitement at the approaching force proceeding from the Kongo Jungle, which was led by Donkey Kong alone; Diddy Kong, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Behind the ape was a not particularly large group of fighters, but one that seemed enthusiastic and ready to fight. There were perhaps a hundred or so monkeys of varying species, the recognizable among them including Funky Kong with a huge pack of artillery strapped to his back, Candy Kong traveling alongside Donkey Kong, and Kiddy Kong, Chunky's younger brother, piggybacking Cranky behind them. Also among them were other notable animals of the Donkey Kong series: Squawks the Parrot, Rambi the Rhinoceros, Expresso the Ostrich, Squitter the Spider, Ellie the Elephant, and other creatures of these species. The monkeys and other animals, in contrast to Bowser's orderly troops, jumped and clapped, moving forward like a half-controlled rampage.

The watchers were somewhat disappointed at the lack of numbers included in this small cluster of fighters, but only before, like a great mechanical winged beast, King K. Rool's flying fortress-like battleship appeared over the edge of the woods, the giant propeller keeping it airborne creating large gusts of wind which caused trees to sway and hair to fly back in the strong breeze. Its gigantic metal hull, shaped in the likeness of the head of a crocodile, was painted accordingly in green and white and red and black. This thing was capable of holding hundreds of reptilian creatures, Kremlings and the like, and as such reversed the feelings of the momentarily disappointed watchers.

DK and the other creatures below did not look surprised, however, and it was apparent that Donkey Kong had managed to strike some sort of deal or truce with his old foe. The battleship and animals approached the city, and after hours of discussing and approving, they moved on through the city ruins to join the army miles away.

When inquired as to Diddy's whereabouts, all Donkey Kong could say was, "Diddy said there was somewhere else he had to go, and took off with that jetpack of his not long after we reached Cranky's cabin."

Within the next four days, two more small armies representing their regions arrived from the world of Fire Emblem and Dreamland, the former from the northeast of the city and the latter from the southeast. Roy, as a lord and infamous warrior, led a three hundred-strong company of swordsmen with another hundred spear-wielding cavalry on the wings helping to speed the regiment along. Each soldier was clad in smooth silver armor and helmeted with the same, and very professionally filed towards the city. It was evident that they would need very little additional training before going into battle.

And Dreamland, coming forth less than a day later, looked to be among the feeblest of forces with so many tiny creatures making up its contents: Waddle Dees and Doos, Gordos, Cappys, and all types of diminutive beings which have been known to grant Kirby various Copy Abilities when swallowed. Fortunately, this company numbered over seven hundred, and was led, of course, by the self-appointed King Dedede himself, who had somehow acquired a new but equally large hammer to wield. The large red-clad penguin, being a witness of the destruction of Fourside City, had not needed much convincing to ally against the ones responsible: he had heard that King Bowser and the Great Ganondorf were among this Alliance, and wanted feel as if he were among the great Nintendo leaders in this effort. To add to this legion, Meta Knight flew with fifty of the surviving Star Warriors of the Galaxy Soldier Army who were in similarity to himself, brandishing swords, axes, or maces, and often being round in shape as well. Tens of thousands of years ago, when eNeMeE, or the Cloaked Nightmare, had been dominating much of the universe, most of these warriors had been destroyed, with only Kirby and Meta Knight remaining; however, as time went on, this organization had slowly begun to regenerate members since Nightmare's defeat, and at this point had reached fifty capable fighters, which was plenty considering the rigorous amount of training required to become a Star Warrior. Meta Knight's companion who had perished with Fourside City had been one of these.

Surprisingly, not far behind the legion of Dreamland, at least a hundred mixed Topis and Polar Bears followed from Icicle Mountain on an instinct similar to the Pokemon's: from their icy home, they could easily see that something was amiss in the world, and had congregated to do whatever was in their power to help fix the problem. The Polar Bears, with their sunglasses and swim shorts-like dress, trudged upright, causing the ground to shake around them with each step. The miniature abominable snowmen known as Topis each pushed a Freezy along with them purposefully, not fully knowing what they were getting into.

* * *

**Character Locations**

**Present Armies: (not a location)** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy

**Messengers:** Prince Peasley, Parakarry, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	28. Chapter 13:2: Biggoron Sword and Muffins

**Chapter 13: The Gathering**

**{2} The Biggoron Sword and Muffins**

Luigi lay on his bed in the small hotel room he shared with Baby Luigi and all three Mario's, staring at the Life Shroom beside him. He sure hoped that he wouldn't need to use it, although with a war coming up it was a bit too much to hope for that not a single person would be in peril of death. Luigi thought about his long and wearisome journey that had brought him from his simple peaceful home in the Mushroom Kingdom to the ruins of a once-great city on the other side of the Nintendo World. He had never before been outside the Mushroom Kingdom or Beanbean Kingdom except to visit surrounding islands or Rogueport. How had it come to this? He had departed from his home with Kirby and Mr. Game & Watch not sure what to expect, but he had never thought that their endeavor would have to be on such a large scale as to resort to open battle between everything he knew and loved (including many that he didn't know or love, even Bowser) and the might of Master Hand and Crazy Hand and their followers.

Luigi looked over to his left through the open window to see Meta Knight and his Star Warriors consorting with Kirby. They appeared to be treating the pink puffball with great respect.

"You are one of us," a dignified Warrior named Sword Knight said reverently. "Ever since you defeated Nightmare, you have been named the greatest Star Warrior to have ever arisen."

"Indeed," Meta Knight said with equal respect, although with the tiniest hint of irritability, "you must now lead us, Kirby, against this last and greatest of our enemies. Master Hand has already claimed the life of Blade Knight, and we must avenge his death. We will be honored to follow you." With that, Meta Knight motioned to the other Star Warriors. Each of them simultaneously made a sort of bow to Kirby, who nodded wonderingly in return, and in one fluid motion, they took off and flew away back towards the larger army. Luigi watched Kirby seem to remember something, and then hobble away.

Luigi's mind then turned to a completely unrelated subject. For years he had been wondering about his rather dormant love life; Mario seemed to have Princess Peach in the bag, and they were an obvious match, but what about him? In recent years he had begun to take a mild interest in Princess Daisy, who seemed to match with Peach as much as he himself matched up with Mario. However, Luigi didn't quite feel completely comfortable around Daisy: she was a bit too tomboyish and spunky, while he was timid and humble. _Maybe I'll never meet anyone right for me,_ he thought glumly. _Maybe none of us will ever make it out of this alive._

…

Another week passed by, and then finally came the other side of the Mushroom Kingdom's force (those not serving under King Bowser). As both Princess Peach and the Mario Brothers had not been there to lead them, the Toads, good Koopas, species of Bowser's army loyal to the Princess, and others merged with the royal guard of the Beanbean Kingdom, and all were directed on their long journey by Prince Peasley. There were about two hundred Beanbean warriors, while the mixed throng from the Mushroom Kingdom numbered to nearly one thousand, for there were many hundreds of species from there which each craved a chance in the spotlight, or at least the opportunity to be in the action. Among them were all of Mario's old partners from the days of Paper Mario who are not already involved in this story: obviously Parakarry the Paratroopa, Bombette, Lakilester, Flurry, Ms. Mowz, and all the rest.

Further north, on Fourside's eastern border, yet another host of competent fighters came from the far off land of Hyrule. Link and Young Link had made short work of zooming back to their homeland on E. Gadd's Poltergust 4000 and gathering all those who were willing to fight for the freedom of their land. There were two hundred each of the Hylian soldiers, Gorons, and even the Zoras (although they generally dwelt in water, they were capable of amphibiously traveling across land as well). Particularly sticking out among the Goron race was the gigantic Biggoron; those surrounding him gave him a spacious perimeter just in case he happened to trip over a tree or something. Also among them were young men who came from agricultural dwellings such as Lon Lon Ranch. The big surprise of this multitude was that behind the representative forces of the traditional Hylian races was a horde of the armies of Ganondorf: Octoroks, Moblins, Tektites, Likelikes, Iron Knuckles, and the like. Ganondorf explained that he had summoned his followers using the Triforce of Power which shone on the back of his left hand; he had ultimate control over all of them, so there was no need to worry about an uprising. The Host of Hyrule, as it was called, numbered well over a thousand.

As Link and Young Link directed the Host of Hyrule towards the other forces, Biggoron stopped in front of them and said, "Link, I have something for you." He held in between his massive index finger and thumb, like a toothpick, a long, large sword with a two-handed hilt.

Young Link grabbed at it in excitement. "Wow! That's a big sword! Thank you, sir!"

Biggoron gave a loud, resonating, booming laugh, and pulled it away. "Not for you, young one. For the Hero of Time."

The older Link gratefully took the Biggoron sword from Biggoron. "Thank you!" he said, smirking at his younger self.

"But I am…or I'm going to be…not fair!" Young Link complained, jumping up and down trying to grab the sword while Link held it just out of his reach.

"This sword is too heavy for you anyway," Link said with a smile. He gave the sword a couple swings, the blade slicing powerfully through the air. "Here, you try." Link handed the Biggoron sword to his younger self, who struggled with his tiny arms to lift it into the air, causing Link to laugh. "But be caref―"

Young Link had finally managed to lift the sword, but it was so heavy that he tottered beneath it, and brought it down by accident onto the face of a large rock. With a _snap_, the Biggoron sword had broken in two.

There was a silence. Link looked at the broken sword, then at Young Link's guilty face, then at Biggoron above him. "You're actually the brother of the legendary sword maker, aren't you?" He said calmly, addressing Biggoron.

Biggoron laughed. "Well, of course I am! My brother had to come after us because his eyes were irritated again. But don't worry, I won't charge you a single rupee." The large Goron then continued on with the rest of the host.

Link glared at Young Link, who was still holding half of the sword. "I hope you're happy―" He saw E. Gadd approaching with something in his hands, and pretended that nothing was wrong.

"Hello, Link, and…er…Link!" The professor said cheerfully as he approached. He carried another Biggoron sword in his hands unsteadily. "I saw that little incident there, but don't worry! I found this beauty a little while ago, and stabbed the eye of Piranha Gohma with it, so I don't think it will break as easily. Take it!" E. Gadd handed the stunned Link the Biggoron Sword and walked away.

"Piranha Gohma?" was all he could say.

…

Now there were only a few regions which had yet to send forth their support. Another week passed by, but no more came that week except for stragglers from other mainland regions. But once again, this did not worry Professor E. Gadd, for the Outer Islands and other planets should easily be allowed more time to travel from such distant lands, whereas the mainland regions could more quickly move a large number of people or creatures across a great distance. What worried the professor the most was if they were giving Master Hand too much time, and whether they would be able to compose their army quickly enough so as to be able to strike first (even though the first strike had really been by Master Hand, six years ago).

Finally, two weeks after the arrival of the Host of Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom's support, coming from the south out of the Unknown Land, the muster of the Outer Islands proceeded into the city after a long journey overseas and across land. Luigi was obviously not with them as he was supposed to have been; Toadsworth and Yoshi, rather, were the ones leading the company. There were over 300 variously colored Yoshis from Yoshi's Island, pushing forward like a moving rainbow. Approximately one hundred and fifty Piantas, Nokis, and other species from Delfino Island joined them. About a hundred soldiers eerily similar to Toads were there as well. The only differences were that instead of Mushrooms on their heads were what appeared to be muffins, coming in assorted flavors including blueberry, chocolate, and poppyseed; also, their skin tone was darker and tanner than that of Toads. These assumedly hailed from the little-known but never-the-less existent Waffle Kingdom. Their leader, the Chestnut King, had the appearance of a large human with an enormous chestnut for a head with black beady eyes, and a crown that resembled a golden muffin. Many strange looks were given to this never-before-seen people (other than by Luigi) and its awkward-looking king.

And from the skies above the region of the city where the army congregated, a massive force of airborne crafts descended thanks to the efforts of Teams Star Wolf and Star Fox, who were among them. Most significant in this large unit was the infamous Cornerian Fleet: hundreds upon hundreds of Arwing-sized units in impressive formations lowering through the thick clouds, dozens of command ships with heavy-duty weaponry descending with them like a flock of organized birds. Along for the ride in the Great Fox were Ness's friends, Paula, Jeff, and Poo, who had been invited from the city of Onett on planet Earth. Finally, despite the fact that Samus was not present, a squad made up of ten of her fellow (or rival) bounty hunters arrived beside the Cornerian Fleet, each in their own unique spaceship. The messengers had done well to bring even these shady fighters there.

Fox had purposely directed his team as well as Star Wolf to stay away from Dinosaur Planet, otherwise known as Sauria, for personal reasons. It felt good for the team to be once again in action, but while Slippy joined Fox and Falco in his own Arwing, Peppy was now too old to safely do so, so he remained in the Great Fox with ROB the Robot and the guests from Onett; his injuries had healed as much as they were going to, but the old hare was weakened greatly from his near-deadly affliction. Wolf had an influence over a large number of space scoundrels across the galaxy, so had managed to get a significant amount of his acquaintances to accompany him from Sargasso Hideout and to temporarily join the ranks of the Cornerian Fleet.

Of all the other companies of the Nintendo World and Universe, this division struck the most awe out of those watching their descent: so much advanced and incredible technology and machinery gathered together, yet they were there for the same purpose as even the most insignificant Goomba or Waddle Dee.

* * *

**Character Locations**

**Present Armies: (not a location)** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	29. Chapter 13:3: The Return of Shadow

**Chapter 13: The Gathering**

**{3} The Return of Shadow**

For two weeks more the training and gathering of the Nintendo Alliance continued, growing ever stronger and more confident in its numbers. The veterans of the tournament, the original members of the Resistance, and those of the Original 25 who were present began looking towards the Battlefields: for the army was reaching the point where it would be ready for an assault on Master Hand's grounds. However, at the end of the two weeks, Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman still had not returned, and Professor E. Gadd as well as several others wanted to wait for them before they were to begin the attack.

One day, Ness looked out from the top of the wall of the gate cutting off Fourside City from the Battlefields. As ever, it flashed white and purple, the most barren and somehow corrupt acres he had ever laid eyes upon. Ness had recovered from his long ordeal inside Master Hand's Fortress, but still was terrified by the idea of reentering those foreboding lands, even with a magnificent army alongside him. Marth, too, was very wary of how dangerous it would be to just charge through Master Hand's domain with no knowledge of how powerful he had truly become.

But as Professor E. Gadd had explained to the Original 25 privately about a week ago, the last 5 of the chosen ones, so to speak, were in Master Hand's grasp, and there was absolutely no alternative, no other solution other than infiltrating his abnormally-sized room and rescuing them so that Master Hand and Crazy Hand could finally be defeated.

Ness was interrupted from his thoughts as he gazed into the mysterious plains of the Battlefields, which seemed to him an inevitable snare that had no other purpose than to hand them over to Master Hand. The PSI-competent youth spotted, at least two miles distant beyond the gate, a single black speck against the purple landscape dashing towards them. It did not appear to be very large, but was very quick, and approaching them at this velocity would be at the gate within a few minutes.

Ness called out, "Look!" to the guards along the gate, primarily Toads, and they gasped at the sight of the looming black figure. Two of them began running into the city to alert the professor of this news.

From nowhere, Mewtwo's humanoid yet catlike figure appeared next to Ness. He turned to him and stared eye to eye, as if testing his mental competence. Finally, Mewtwo spoke telepathically, _"I sense a great mind. You are strong in the ways of PSI, I gather?"_

Ness nodded hesitantly, still rather frightened of this powerful-looking Pokemon and his mighty aura, even though he recognized the cat from the SSB Tournaments of old. "What is that?" Ness asked, pointing at the oncoming speck. Somehow, despite his fear, Ness knew he could trust Mewtwo with any of his concerns.

Mewtwo turned his gaze to the small growing black figure, and communicated, _"This…is a being formerly full of hatred, now only of grief. I would venture to assume that he comes directly from Master Hand's room with news, although of ill or good, I cannot tell...I sense that we have met this person previously, but he is no danger to us any longer..."_

Ness considered Mewtwo's words, but then was once again interrupted in his thoughts as Professor E. Gadd's airborne hovercraft landed behind the gate, and the diminutive scholar hastily scrambled out of his vehicle, and came up a small flight of stairs to where they stood on the wall, panting hurriedly.

"Whew…what is this approaching figure that I hear of?" he asked. Ness and Mewtwo simply pointed out to the Battlefields, and E. Gadd then saw the dashing black figure which was now within a mile of the gate, but showing no sign of aggression. "Gadzooks!" The professor instructed the guards to open the gates, but bar the figure's entrance.

They waited until the black figure finally reached the gate, and when he had, it was very apparent who this person was. With the red streaks amid the spiky black fur and the white boots, Shadow the Hedgehog's figure could not be mistaken.

"Halt! State your name and business!" one of the guards ordered. E. Gadd watched Shadow with an indeterminable expression from the other side of the open gates, but he knew exactly who this was and what he had done.

Shadow had changed. His black and red fur was no longer sleek, but frizzled and messed up, and he had a deep cut along his right arm as well as a large bruise on his left eye. His eyes had a grievous but frantic look: the passionate flames which once burned within them were extinguished.

Shadow's voice was weak and croaking. "My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. I was once called the Ultimate Life Form, but can no longer claim this title. Please allow me to explain myself before you arrest me…I have made a terrible mistake…"

The guards looked at Gadd, who nodded and said, "Let him in. But make sure he doesn't run off while I talk to him."

"Right this way," the same soldier told Shadow, and led him through the gates to where the professor stood. They stood on either side of the black hedgehog so he would not try to escape. Mewtwo and Ness watched intently from the wall above.

Professor E. Gadd was calm, but seemed to be holding in much anger, and spoke testily as a result of it. "Now, Shadow. I have let you into this city because I could not think of a sinister reason that you would come so openly to our gates. But that does not mean I trust you in the least; you had better have a lot to say, because unless you convince me otherwise, I'm going to imprison you for the terrible things you've done. Do you understand?"

Shadow did not seem offended by Gadd's harsh words, but nodded as he stared at the ground. Then he looked up at the professor directly in the eye. "I am well aware of the pain I've caused. By helping Master Hand to corrupt the tournament, I've caused the deaths of dozens of lives, and the capture of the completely innocent. I know this because I've seen my old companion Sonic as a trophy back in Master Hand's room; these things are not what Master Hand promised me when I agreed to serve him, but I offer no excuse for my actions. I see now what is wrong about Master Hand's desires, and offer only the very deepest of apologies, however little they may mean to you. If you were so generous as to forgive me, or at least put up with me, I would very much like to join the side of the Nintendo Alliance in this last battle. What say you?"

Professor E. Gadd stared long and hard at Shadow, as if analyzing whether he was truly sincere about what he had said. Then he smiled warmly. "I say, welcome to Fourside City, young'un. I can tell that you mean what you've said, and I believe in giving everyone a second chance. There would be no sense in turning you away at this point anyways; Master Hand would probably utterly destroy you if you were ever to show your face in his domain again."

Shadow expressed a look of great relief, and nodded again. "True. But that circumstance may soon arise. For I also come with urgent news. Master Hand's army is marching across the Battlefields toward us as we speak. They move slowly, but only because of the sheer greatness of their numbers. If you have any sort of army mustered, now would be the time to attack."

The professor almost wasn't surprised by this news. He knew that they had spent too much time in preparation. They would have to proceed without Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman after all. "So it is. And there would be no reason to wait for them to reach here; if we are to fall to Master Hand in the end, we can at least preserve what is left of Fourside City by striking his force in his own land. Thank you for this information, Shadow. You are beginning to regain my trust."

Shadow replied, "Thank you in turn for showing mercy and giving me a second chance even though I don't deserve it. I am forever indebted to your cause. When will you strike?"

"The day after tomorrow. The Battlefields stretch on for a number of miles, but if left unhindered, Master Hand could easily reach here within the week. There is no time to waste, Shadow. Come with me as I share this news with the rest of the Alliance and explain your change of heart." E. Gadd ushered Shadow to follow him to his hovercraft. He then turned to Ness and Mewtwo. "You may come along if you wish, Mewtwo and Ness." He afterwards addressed the guards. "Close the gates. Notify me immediately via radio if there is any news." The professor and Shadow climbed into the hovercraft, then turned to Ness and Mewtwo, waiting.

Ness began to step forward as if to join them, but Mewtwo halted him with a hand on the shoulder. Ness looked at Mewtwo inquiringly.

_"Come with me,"_ Mewtwo urged. _"There are a few things I desire to teach you before this battle the day after tomorrow."_

* * *

**Character Locations**

**Present Armies: (not a location)** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow

**?:** The Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	30. Chapter 13:4: The Last Debate

**Chapter 13: The Gathering**

**{4} The Last Debate**

So it was that the announcement was made to the entire Alliance that afternoon of their sudden lack of time. Final preparations were made: weapons and armor were distributed appropriately, the Training Dojo discontinued its functioning for organizational reasons, and that evening was ended early to be made sure to allow everyone a plentiful night's sleep.

Early the next day, the many generals and leaders met in a surviving business building near the border of the city to consult concerning various issues. This included E. Gadd, Prince Peasley, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Meta Knight, King Dedede, King K. Rool, Shadow, Toadsworth, the Chestnut King, General Pepper of the Cornerian Fleet, a bounty hunter called Noxus representing the other bounty hunters, Wolf O' Donnell of Team Star Wolf, and the Original 25 (or 20 of them in any case). The 36 occupants of a spacious room on the 5th floor sat around a large circular table of about 25 feet in diameter. Each had their own chair except for Pichu who sat on Bowser's head, and Jigglypuff who settled on the table near the map shared by Mewtwo and Ganondorf. Around the edges of the circle were several maps of the Nintendo World and a close-up of the Battlefields-Fourside City area. On the larger map in front of Gadd were small figurines representing each division of the army (a Goomba for Goombas, Arwing for Cornerian Fleet, etc.)

But before consorting with the maps, the professor had something else to address first. He stood up after the room had quieted down, although he was not much taller when standing than when sitting down. E. Gadd cleared his throat. "Fellow leaders, generals, and other significant persons of the Nintendo World," he began, "I welcome you to this the first officially complete gathering of the Nintendo Alliance. Although Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman are missing at the moment, as you know we have no time left to wait for them, and if they had been here, we would not have needed them for this council in any case." He cleared his throat again. "The time has come, as war draws upon us, that I must inform all of you who do not already know of a key factor in this fight against Master Hand, and an important journey which has been made to help accomplish this…"

Professor E. Gadd went on to explain the significance of the Original 25, and why they would all be needed if success was to be hoped for. He told them of Pikachu, Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Captain Falcon, and Samus who were now, regrettably, part of Master Hand's trophy collection inside his fortress or captive (he added this at a look from Link and Young Link). He explained that this was why they needed to invade the Battlefields, Master Hand's Room, and ultimately his fortress in order to make success possible. Hopefully once they had overcome the fortress, they would find a way to change the trophies back to normal, and so be able to finally destroy Master Hand and his left-handed counterpart.

The bespectacled leader of the Alliance then divulged why Mario and the others had traveled to the Dimension Conflux, what had occurred there, and what had been accomplished and lost. He called upon Dr. Mario, Luigi, and Popo to each hold out their part of the Power of Dimensions, and told them to use these items wisely to their own discretion. Mewtwo cut in here and emphasized how crucial it was that they recover the two parts which had been seized by the Enemy: the Superstar and the Smash Ball; for with these objects in Master Hand's grasp, who knew what havoc could be wrought with them.

Finally, the professor directed the council's attention to the map, holding a long thin pointer with which he could move around the small figurines on the map. "Now, taking all of these factors into consideration, there are several objectives which will need to be accomplished. First and foremost, Master Hand's armies must be held back so they cannot break through and encompass us or invade other lands. This will be the duty of the majority of our army. Second, we need a force to penetrate to this spot here…" Gadd pointed with the baton at a spot on the Battlefields right below Master Hand's Room. "…and destroy the jelly-like pods from which Wire Frames are produced. According to our spies, unless we get rid of all of these, Master Hand can continue to reproduce Wire Frames endlessly, and that, well, is simply not a good thing." He chuckled. "Lastly, and most imperatively, while all this is going on, a fairly inconspicuous company must penetrate with as little loss as possible through Master Hand's legions in a direct course to Master Hand's Room, where they will need to overcome the fortress and find a way to reverse the effects of the Trophy-Transformer, as I like to call it. Any questions so far?"

At this point several hands rose at once. Gadd called on the first one he saw. "Yes, Fox?"

"What will you have the armies of the skies do, professor?" the brave pilot asked.

"Ah! Good question," Gadd said, "but I will assign all of the positions after all other questions are answered. We'll come back to that. Who else?"

He called next on Popo, who had his hand raised next to Nana. "How do you suggest we go about searching for the rest of the Power of Dimensions?"

"We haven't any idea who will be in possession of these items, or where they will be," E. Gadd explained. "Just keep an eye out for them."

Meta Knight asked, "I have two questions. Do we plan on leaving any defense here tomorrow?"

Gadd replied, "Well, no; the whole purpose of most of our army, as I said, will be to hold them back. And if this endeavor fails, there will be no reason to be defending what is impossible to defend. Does that make sense?"

The cloaked knight nodded. "And my other thought. Forgive me for sounding pessimistic, but in consideration of every possible outcome, who shall take leadership of the Alliance should both you and Banjo & Kazooie fall?"

This created somewhat of an angry uproar from some of the others, but Bowser quieted them all with a deafening roar. "Go on, professor," he urged with a look of satisfaction.

Gadd did not look offended. "No, everyone, Meta Knight's question is quite reasonable. Anything could happen out there. And in answer, Meta Knight, the position of leader of the Alliance would then fall to Mario, then Link, and the rest of the Original 25 in the order in which they were invited to Master Hand's tournaments. Although if any of them were to perish, I know not whether victory would be possible at that point…but anyhow, that's the way it will work. Others?"

"Do you know how long it takes to recover after being consumed by a shroud of evil purple energy?" However, this came from the doorway to the room, and grouped together in the entrance were the long-forgotten Shadow Sirens, who had disappeared during the tournament over a month ago. Beldam, in front, was the one who had spoken, a permanently nasty grin below her crooked blue witch's hat as always. Marilyn and Vivian's dark forms rose up from the ground on either side of her, Vivian's gaze sweeping the table and stopping when it had found Mario.

A sense of pleasant shock swept through the majority of the table, but Mario was the only one to respond. "Shadow a-Sirens? What a-happened to you during the a-tournament?" As Mario looked into Vivian's rosy smiling face, the pink curl of hair assumedly covering her eyes, in his mind flashed the memories of their past adventures: the time he had first fought the Shadow Sirens in the Boggly Woods, the day when Vivian had joined his party in Twilight Town, the crucial role she played in the fight against the Shadow Queen in the Palace of Shadow, and the eventual parting in Rogueport, when she had begun to say something, but said instead, "…never mind. I'm sure you and Peach will make a great couple. Goodbye." During those times he had considered Vivian simply as one of his partners and companions, but now he felt a fleeting whisper of a strange attraction which he had never felt before…

Beldam explained how they had come upon the Shadow Hand in its purest form inside the lobby, but had not been able to escape. "We were plunged into the deepest darkness you can imagine…nothing could be seen or felt; that is, until we felt the wrath of Bowser's flames and claws, and the essence of our consumer disintegrated from around us. After that, all consciousness left us, and we have been slowly recovering as mere shadows from our near destruction since then."

"Hmm." Professor Gadd considered them. "Well, welcome back. Have you heard of what we plan to do at the rise of dawn tomorrow?" The three of them nodded. "Good. Then you are invited to fight alongside us; the armies of the Mushroom Kingdom are in _that_ direction…" he pointed out the window. "…and I believe you will find some old friends there with which you can get reacquainted. Now, if you don't mind, there is an extremely important meeting taking place at the moment, and it would be best if you could leave us to our planning…further news will be given later today."

"Yes, of course," Beldam said submissively. "Let us depart, sisters." She nudged Vivian, who was still staring at Mario, and the three purple shadows sank once again into the ground and vanished.

The professor turned back to the council. "A-hem. Getting back to business, I will take one more question before we move on to matters of war arrangements."

"Just how large is Master Hand's army, exactly?" King Dedede asked.

But Gadd was not the one to respond. "Millions," Shadow said forcefully. "Unlimited, really, but at this time, that is what we will be dealing with."

The penguin seemed to shrink in fear. "Mil…millions? Can that many even fit within the area of the Battlefields? How do you know this?"

"Because I have seen it myself," Shadow said quietly.

"Alright, moving on!" E. Gadd ended the significant but most certainly unhelpful discussion. "If you'll take a look at your maps…" As the professor began to explain where he wanted each and every part of the Great Nintendo Army to advance, he moved the small representative figurines accordingly. "I don't think Master Hand has any flying fighters; do they, Shadow?"

But Shadow only shrugged and shook his head. "I only got a brief glimpse; I didn't see anything in the skies, I don't think…"

"Hmm. Well, if there is anything in the skies, then that will be the job of the Cornerian fleet. The Bounty Hunters and Team Star Wolf can patrol over the Battlefields, doing as much damage as they can. The Pokemon will be holding off their legions, along with Dreamland, the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser's army, the Beanbeans, the Gorons, the Zoras, Ganondorf's minions, the Delfinians, and the Waffle Kingdom. Now before you ask where everyone else will be or complain about where your force will fight," Professor Gadd said over the protests of a couple in the council, quelling their voices, "let me tell you that I've done a great deal of thinking about these things, and I have worked out the best possible way to organize this with the knowledge we currently have."

The professor continued, moving figurines into positions with his pointer as he went along. "The group that shall penetrate to the external base outside of the Room will consist of the forces of the Kongo Jungle, including K. Rool's lot, the creatures from Icicle Mountain, the Yoshis, and myself and the former residents of the Isle O' Hags shall accompany them as well. Finally, the party with the task of cutting straight through Master Hand's armies into Master Hand's Room and his fortress will include the Soldiers of Hyrule, Meta Knight's Star Warriors, the infantry and cavalry who came forth with Roy, and Team Star Fox with the Great Fox. Also with them will be Mario and Luigi.

"Now allow me to explain my reasoning for all of these decisions. The group to the External Base will need an agile and quickly-moving force; I have chosen the many creatures of Kongo Jungle and Icicle Mountain as well as the Yoshis for this purpose. And I along with my second in command will need to go along with them, because this base is where I expect we will find my notorious wretch of a cousin, Professor U. Reeka, and my instinct tells me that this will be my battle to fight.

"The Soldiers of Hyrule and Fire Emblem both have very competent cavalries as well as foot soldiers, and in order to literally cut through Master Hand's armies, the cavalry will form a sort of arrow point and charge through, allowing the infantry, Mario, and the others to proceed quickly and relatively safely to the Room. But while this party needs to not be extremely large in surface area usage, they need to be as strong and safe as possible, so that is why Team Star Fox, the Great Fox, and the Star Warriors shall need to cover them from above.

"I have one more thing to say: unless I specified, I would strongly recommend that each of you, our leaders, remain with your forces so that we will be able to effectively command them, and so they will have someone familiar to look towards to lead the way for them. If you do not belong to any of these groups, like you, Mr. Game & Watch, and you, Dr. Mario, then I will let you choose where you wish to fight. _Now_ is there anything else that anyone has to ask?"

This time there was silence. The brilliance but high risk of this complicated plan had overwhelmed most every one of the council members, and no one could think of another question besides, "What if we lose?" And they all knew the answer to that.

* * *

**Character Locations**

**Present Armies: (not a location)** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

**Fourside City:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow, The Shadow Sirens

**?:** Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	31. Chapter 13:5: The Final Endeavor

**Chapter 13: The Gathering**

**{5} The Final Endeavor**

It was the evening before the planned endeavor, and few were able to get a good night's sleep with what they knew lay ahead, and what they didn't know. Most laid in their sleeping quarters, contemplating what was about to be done.

Outside in the silent night, however, there were two lone figures standing on the top of a roof, gazing out at the starry sky. Mewtwo and Ness stood side by side; they were on top of the hotel where Ness stayed in one of the rooms with his old friends Paula, Jeff, and Poo. Ness's mind was filled with all the sorts of thoughts which might be expected of a child about to go to war: worry for his own life, for the lives of others, for the future of his world, wonder at the adventure which had begun for him with the Metal clones whisking him to Master Hand's fortress where he had experienced a long tormenting imprisonment. The worried boy looked over at Mewtwo levitating beside him, who still stared out into the night, and whose thoughts could not be deciphered by his expression, and seemed incomprehensible to him.

After a while, Mewtwo turned his gaze to Ness. _"Do you believe you are ready for tomorrow?"_

"No," Ness said, looking at the ground. "I'm scared. I've fought Starmen and Giygas with the help of my friends, but have never thought that I would have to fight in a war like this." His childlike features seemed to soften the heart of the great cat.

_"Wrong,"_ Mewtwo corrected. _"You ARE ready. You have learned well what I have taught you, and if you use your skills wisely, you will be safe from any enemy, regardless of their number. Others will look past your youth, and see a great leader, one to look up to. You will be spending more time protecting others than yourself. I see that leader in you; you are yet a child, but have a mind beyond that of many adults, and a bravery that has raised you among the great; Master Hand never did invite anyone to his tournaments who didn't deserve it…with the possible exception of Pichu…but even that creature has guts which you would never imagine could be found within a Pokemon. No, you should not be concerned about the war; what you and I and everyone else should truly be concerned about is why Master Hand has been so…merciful at times to us. Yes, it is certain that this is all some sort of amusement to him, but why has he allowed it to excel to this point? I know that he is stronger than he has demonstrated so far, so why is he jeopardizing control over his own domain when he could have overwhelmed us long ago, while the quest in the Dimension Conflux had been going on? There is something wrong, something ill-boding about this whole struggle. If we get out of this alive, I don't believe that it will end as simply as Professor Gadd thinks it well. So be cautious, Ness, but confident. You have the choice of where you wish to fight, so perhaps I will be seeing you again, or perhaps not. Farewell."_

Mewtwo vanished from the rooftop with a flash, leaving Ness with slightly higher spirits, but ever lonely.

…

The Great Nintendo Alliance crossed the border of the Battlefields, their many divisions widespread so that the leaders simultaneously were the first to step into the enemy lands. Before the rest proceeded, however, their head, Professor E. Gadd in his hovercraft, halted and turned the vehicle to face them. The professor, clad in the same lab coat despite the fact that they were going into war, used a super-efficient microphone to magnify his voice.

"Defenders of the Nintendo World! We have gathered this day to restore peace and order to our homes, to destroy forever the threat of Master Hand and Crazy Hand, and to rescue some of our loved ones who have been ruthlessly taken from us. The armies of the Enemy may be great, they may be impossibly numerous, but we, we are greater than them! For they are naught but copies, naught but the spite of Master Hand, his slaves and tools used against us. Each of us are individuals, able to think for ourselves, able to outsmart these artificial creations, able to work together by covering each other's weaknesses, and magnifying each other's strengths. And we, united for the same cause, have the most important thing in a war that Master Hand does not: something worth fighting for. He thinks this is all a game, one that he cannot lose, nor that has any rules or limits. But we know better, don't we? Our enemy is about to find out where his great mistake lies, and that is in our determination, our cooperation, and our purpose and oneness of heart! Even though all of us will not survive this day, the only way we will lose is by giving up. For even the weakest of our Alliance is worth dozens of Master Hand's Wire Frames, and if we never lose our resolve, we shall surely triumph. So on behalf of everything we love, on everything we have already lost, and everything we hope for in the future, let us go to victory!"

A tremendous cheer echoed across the border, so loudly, so confidently, that it could be heard all the way on the other side of the city, and into all the regions of the Nintendo World, penetrating the ears of those who remained in their homelands. It resounded across the fields of Hyrule, between the trees of the Kongo Jungle, over the steep slopes of the Icicle Mountains, into the very gates of Princess Peach's Castle, and all heard it, and cheered on their noble defenders.

Back at the border, Goombas and Koopas jumped up and down, Waddle Dees waved their stubby arms, soldiers ranging from Toads to Hylian Soldiers to the followers of Prince Marth and Roy shook their swords, spears, shields, and other manner of handheld weapons, Mario and Luigi lifted their hats to each other while still piggybacking the Babies before looking onward, King Dedede smiled and twirled around his hammer, the Ice Climbers crossed each others' hammers, Ganondorf and Mewtwo spun around once and stretched back their limbs as if embracing their power, Link patted Epona's mane and drew the Biggoron sword, monkeys, Pokemon, and other animals hollered and cried out in excitement, Pichu and Jigglypuff gave a trusting look to their master Red whom they had long been separated from, Bowser let out a roar with Pichu clinging onto the top of his head, Shadow the Hedgehog folded his arms and looked off in the direction of the Room where the former companion he had betrayed existed only as a trophy, Young Link took one last swig of Lon Lon Milk, Marth and Roy crossed blades, Pac-man grinned widely as ever with his gloved hands on his spherical hips, Pit raised the Bow of Palutena while flapping his wings and hovering in the air, Meta Knight and Sword Kirby raised their blades together along with the other Star Warriors, Banjo shook his fist and Kazooie waved her wing as they stood next to Professor E. Gadd, Mr. Game & Watch rang his black bell repeatedly, Prince Peasley laughed gaily while he drew his sword atop his flying bean, Mario's old companions huddled together and shouted, Donkey Kong bellowed and beat his chest, Tiny and Dixie whooped with their hands on their hips, Lanky Kong leaped into the air and used his linked arms as a jump-rope, Cranky made a fighting pose while in his karate outfit, Funky feigned firing a machine gun while making fake shooting sounds, all the pilots in their airborne crafts, whether they were of the Cornerian Fleet, Team Star Fox, Star Wolf, or a Bounty Hunter, shook their arms in the air or did loop-de-loops amid the mass of flying machines, and Ness tilted his cap with a grim smile.

For about five minutes, this cheering continued ceaselessly, and then finally died down. The professor, smiling, turned his hovercraft back towards the Battlefields where he expected to see their opponents approaching. "Hmm…I don't see anything…" The downward-sloping and then leveling landscape in front of them seemed completely devoid of occupants. The ground continued to flash white and purple.

But then, an Arwing fired a shot of enthusiasm at the ground about three miles away (they could see far into the distance), and instead of just scorching the ground, it hit something; a small black hole was made from the laser, and it was soon covered up with more purple.

Kazooie's eyes, as keen as they were, widened as she realized what it had hit. "It's them! Master Hand's army is before us, less than three miles away!"

And indeed, the black hole had been so quickly covered because the entire landscape was not empty at all; it was so densely covered with Wire Frames, which blended in with the ground at that distance, that as soon as whatever beings which had been there previously had been demolished by the laser, several others closed in to take up the space.

The Nintendo Alliance was now completely silent, for now everyone could see the massive movement as the legions upon legions of Wire Frames advanced forward mindlessly yet menacingly. So many were they that the Battlefields had become a virtual sea of movement, extending as far as the eye could see.

What was more, in the distant skies another purple mass of airborne things approached them at a distressing speed, and below them at the bottom of the long slope faded in hundreds of the familiar white Boos, cackling evilly and following King Boo across the plain alongside the Wire Frames.

The terror of the enemy entered into the hearts of all who were there to behold it, and the wise professor realized that the longer they delayed, the more frightened they would become of the strength of the enemy. Since his voice was not loud enough, he made a signal to the leaders, and simultaneously, they all yelled the same thing and ran forward.

"CHAAARGE!" Ganondorf's and Bowser's voices being the loudest among them, the Nintendo Alliance surged forward, now with more questions to be answered than ever, but not enough time left to even tie a shoelace. The aircraft advanced as the crow flies, bound to reach the enemy first, while the rest surged down the slopes, the arrow point formation made up of cavalry and the others in the middle, and Gadd's hovercraft flying over the left side with the creatures.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Second after second went by, yet it seemed like an eternity. The multicolored alliance of approximately ten thousand flowed from the destroyed city into the barren purple lands towards an army that by contrast seemed almost all to be the same, yet spread across the entire territory, countless in number. The final endeavor had begun at last.

END OF CHAPTER…

* * *

**Character Locations**

**Present Armies: (not a location)** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

**BATTLEFIELDS:** Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow, The Shadow Sirens

**?:** Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers


	32. Chapter 14:1: Thrice Proved Wrong

**Chapter 14: Barricade of the Battlefields**

**{1} Thrice Proved Wrong**

Bowser, advancing at the front of his army in his Koopa Clown Car with Pichu on the top of his shell, was both confounded and infuriated by the revelation that the Boos had allied with Master Hand. From almost the beginning of time, King Boo and his fellow ghosts had been under his command. But now they had betrayed him, and it did not take the King of the Koopas long to realize that this had been the case for a long time.

All he could see of the Nintendo Alliance's army was the right side, although in the southern distance the outline of the cavalry formation was faintly visible. The sky was overcast, and the air was chilly as it was morning. However, due to the radioactive-like nature of the purple ground, the clouds above were tinted pink and violet from the glow of the surface. As the two forces neared, the ruins of the Great Fourside City grew smaller behind them. It also was evident that the Wire Frames, or at least the ones in front, looked the same as always, male and female, but they seemed to have abandoned the extra features that had been present during the Battle of Fourside City.

Bowser in his fury directed his army towards the swarm of cackling Boos, intent on revenge. The many other various Nintendo forces approached the army alongside Bowser's, but the enemy did not move, only waited intently as they drew within 100 feet of each other. Then, in a sudden move, Wire Frames and Boos alike charged forward with much speed, and the two sides collided.

Bodies crashed into each other, purposely or not. Weapons struck the Wire Frames, who had none. Koopas curled into their shells and bowled into the other side. Magikoopas on broomsticks, Paratroopas, and Lakitus flew over head and dive bombed, dropping shape-based spells, Spinies, and the force of their shell-protected bodies respectively. Waddle Dees and Goombas flung themselves headlong into the chaos. Some Arwings sped across the opponent's masses, firing lasers and dropping B-Bombs. Gorons either rolled into the front or used their strong fists to beat down Wire Frames. Zoras, clad in armor and spears, stabbed their weapons into the first Wire Frames in front of them. Biggoron stepped clear into Master Hand's armies and began squashing them, several with each step. Hammer Bros chucked hammers into the opposite side. Chain Chomps let loose rampaged into the enemy's ranks, occasionally catching a Wire Frame in their mouths. Octoroks jumped and shot rocks out of their mouths. Moblins yelled and slobbered and swung their long thick spears while tossing their burning lanterns into the opposing legion. The many other creatures of Dreamland used their abundant abilities to their advantage as they struck. Mario's old companions used the natural talents of each of their species to their highest potential, paving the way for others. The Delfinians, armed with coconuts, chili peppers, and durians, used these fruits to bash the heads of the adversary. The noble soldiers of the Beanbean Kingdom charged valorously with swords in hand, Prince Peasley confident and fierce at their head. The muffin-headed Toads from the Waffle Kingdom fought in the same manner as the Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom, but with even more skill and power. The Chestnut King, leading the Waffle Kingdom, wielded an enormous broadsword as he entered the fray. Hundreds of species of Pokemon (including Jigglypuff and Mewtwo) let out a conflux of ranged attacks, attacked from above, or lunged forward at the Wire Frames from the ground. Some were accompanied by trainers who shouted out commands while dodging attacks. Young Link charged up a hurricane spin and sliced his way into the purple crowd. King Dedede applied a combination of air-sucking and strokes with his mallet, usually smacking several enemies away at once. Ganondorf introduced his power with a Gerudo Kick into the Wire Frames he confronted. Mr. Game & Watch ran slowly but surely, frame by frame, and added his myriad of techniques to the chemistry. Bowser himself leaped out of his Koopa Clown Car with a roar, completely disregarding what became of it, and commenced the team strategy with Pichu which they had used before.

Indeed, the defenders of the Nintendo World were sweeping through hundreds and thousands of Wire Frames with ease. The purple enemies, with their visible hearts inside their translucent bodies, and the red SSB insignias over where their faces should be, used the feeble punches and kicks, as well as occasional jumps, for which they were known, but proved no stronger than the Original 25's experience in Multi-Man Melee. The real trouble at the moment were the Boos: with their transparent qualities, the only one who had been able to hit them was Lady Bow, who was a Boo herself, but as soon as anyone else had their back turned, the Boos struck from behind, defeating or at least severely weakening many. And meanwhile the swarm of purple airborne things drew ever nearer…

Bowser and Pichu attacked cooperatively left and right, Bowser with his claws and bursts of flame, Pichu with his head and electric currents or bolts of lightning. Then they heard a call from where the Pokemon fought: "Pichu! We need you over here!" It was his young master, Red. Bowser and Pichu shared an understanding look in the midst of their fighting, then Bowser nodded and shooed him off. The Pokemon used Agility to zoom through the air directly to his master's side near Jigglypuff.

Bowser, while looking after Pichu to make sure he moved over safely, heard a growl identical to his own. He turned back to see that the Wire Frames had cleared a pathway for Metal Bowser, the perpetrator of many a horrendous crime, the murderer of Orca, and now a circle was forming: Wire Frames bordering one side, Bowser's minions on the other. The Wire Frames just stood silently, watching, while the Koopa King's followers were cheering and hollering his name, even though both he and his clone shared it. Bowser turned to Metal Bowser, which already had blood on its claws and its mouth. The clone let out a mighty roar.

"Alright, then," Bowser growled, posing for a fight with his claws. "Bring it, you aluminum wannabe!"

…

Wolf O' Donnell cried out in shock as he and his companions Leon and Panther faced the oncoming onslaught of strange airborne things, which, as they drew nearer, were most obviously not Wire Frames of any kind. No, as they drew within firing distance, Wolf realized that he recognized these things, but had thought he would never see them again; it was the Aparoids.

The Aparoids: the same menace which had not too long ago threatened to corrupt the entire Lylat System with their sinister infectious ways. But surely, Wolf thought, Fox and his team had planted the self-destruct program within the Aparoid Queen, supposedly forever ridding the universe of all of these corrupt creatures. And yet they were here now, before him and the rest, as if the loss of their queen had only been a minor setback, as if there was no way to ultimately eliminate them…

Now they were close enough to see details: purple, blue, and slightly orange in color, sickly eyes and demented mutations which the Aparoids were so well known for, and, as they were to soon demonstrate, an assortment of laser-based weapons to equal that of the Cornerian Fleet.

The two airborne forces intermingled almost simultaneously with the ground armies; chaos broke out. Lasers cross-fired everywhere. Cornerian ships performed barrel rolls and other techniques in order to defend themselves. Corneria's large gunships fired huge beams at the other side. Hit vessels on both sides exploded in the air or plummeted smoking and spinning to explode on the ground instead. Wolf called on his radio communicator, "Panther, Leon, be careful out there. I can't afford to replace another team member since the abominations of Oikonny and that fat traitor of a swine Pigma!"

"You be careful as well, hound." Wolf, confused at the unfamiliar voice coming through his receiver, glanced behind him. Following Team Star Wolf was the group of a dozen or so Metroid bounty hunters. Sylux, in a sleek blue and yellow craft behind Wolf, spoke again. "We've got your back."

Wolf nodded, forgetting the fact that one could not hear another person nodding. "Let's do this!" And so the squad of elite space travelers sped into the assault together.

…

Pichu, Jigglypuff, and their master Red charged into the battle along with the swarms of other Pokemon, plowing through the Wire Frames like tissue paper. Mewtwo followed above them, sending Shadow Balls into the masses of enemies below. Soon, the Pokemon penetrated into a spacious bowl-like depression in the Battlefields with a flat, circular bottom. However, as Red and his Pokemon began to lead the other Pokemon into the depression, a tremendous change occurred.

A barrier of faint purple light cut off Pichu, Jigglypuff, Red, and Mewtwo from the rest of the Pokemon, and as this barrier formed a ring around the bowl, the Wire Frames appeared to be clearing out. And as they cleared out, the flat circular bottom of the bowl underwent a dramatic physical change: the purple surface washed itself away, revealing smooth concrete and white paint which made this circle to become the resemblance of a Pokeball, with two semi-circular sides and a smaller circle in the center; a battle arena, in simpler words, originating from the traditions of the Pokemon battles commonly held within the Kanto Region.

Finally, soon before the purple barrier of light had completed its circulation, three men of vastly different descriptions strode impressively but dangerously towards Red and the others from the opposite side. Alongside them were three additional figures, but these were clearly identified as Metal Pichu, Metal Jigglypuff, and Metal Mewtwo, the latter hovering low over the ground, but all of them with an air of hostility and power.

The first man was fairly tall, looking to be in around his 40's, dressed in a formal beige suit and tie, and having dark brown hair as well as a business-like smile. The second was a bit shorter but skinny; he had long, wispy white hair that flew about behind him as he walked, wore a purple muscle-bound shirt, and a red skirt-like thing over blue tights. He looked old, but his eyes glowed with a red power that made him look young as well as evil. The third man was not more than 4' 6", and looked very portly; he had long, thick, gray, straight eyebrows, and equally spiky, almost Einstein-like hair. He wore a mayor's suit, but his sleeves were unbuttoned, and his arms and hands flailed loosely at his sides. His eyes were dark and full of hatred. Together they halted only yards away with the three metal Pokemon.

"Greetings," said the man in the business suit. "My name is Giovanni, Head of Team Rocket. But of course you know me well, don't you, Red? These are my comrades from the distant Orre region, Nascour and Evice. You may have thought previously that everyone in the Nintendo World is on the same side, against Master Hand. Well, you have now been thrice proved wrong, haven't you? Yes, we, the Boos, and the Aparoids seek control over this world, even if we rule under another master, the Creator of all things. Now we will battle one last time, but I doubt you will find it as easy as in Veridian Gym, for we are six and you are only four…" With that, Giovanni, Evice, and Nascour each threw a Pokeball, and out of them appeared, successively, the Team Rocket President's Rhydon, its drill-nose spinning menacingly, the Cipher Head's furious Tyranitar, and lastly the Cipher Second in Command's feared Metagross, its spiked legs digging into the cement with its sheer size. Giovanni smiled as the opposing side tried to stare back fiercely, but trembled out of visible fear (except for Mewtwo, who continued to float calmly, but seemed to have eyes only for Metal Mewtwo). Nascour continued to glare, and Evice let out an old wheezy cackle.

But as if in answer, high over the purple barrier flew a great, majestic beast with soaring wings, its silhouette becoming clearer as it dived down, down into the battle arena. It was the infamous Pokemon known as Dragonite, with a light orange color, large abdominal area, and two impressive dragon wings, while at the same time having a cute round snout and glittering, adorable eyes. The beautiful Pokemon landed smoothly on the side facing the crime lords next to Red and the others, and allowed its three passengers to disembark.

The first was, of course, Lance the Dragon Master, the owner of the impressive Dragonite. The young man, in his early 20's, had a shock of spiky red hair and sported a red vest and a black cape, smiling reassuringly at Red. The second was Wes, the famed Pokemon Trainer and former member of Team Snagem who was credited with the overthrow of the Cipher conspiracy as well as the defeat and capture of many other notorious criminals such as Miror B. He had unkempt gray hair, a white line of paint across the space between his nose and eyes, and his blue armored suit with shoulder armor on one side. He stood next to Lance, folding his arms. The third newcomer was an even greater surprise: Gary, Red's longtime rival, and former Pokemon League Champion until Red had narrowly defeated him.

Lance patted his Dragonite, and then spoke to Red and the other Pokemon, almost ignoring the enemies. "Well met once again, Red! How goes life as the Champion? Anyways, I and my companions received the news of this war from Kanto, and decided to come with your old rival, who is actually a member of the Elite Four now, and do what I can to help. On the way, however, I spotted the distant island where the Orre Region resides, and reasoned that we would need all the help we could get, so I took a detour in that direction, and picked up the famous Wes as well. We will make quite a team, don't you think?" Lance smiled at Red, and then turned to Mewtwo with great respect. "I am glad to have you on our side as well, Mewtwo." Mewtwo nodded, but then Lance looked at their opponents. He frowned. "Even though there appears to be another just like you against us, doesn't there?"

Gary, with his rather haughty smile, then addressed Giovanni and the others. "Alright, Gramps and losers. Prepare to get your HP drained so fast, you'll want to watch it again in slow motion, and again, and again! By the time we're through with you, not even a Max Revive will be of any use!" And with that, Gary confidently tossed his Pokeball, and out of it came a mighty Blastoise, its two cannons already aimed at the other side.

Wes, quiet like Red, followed with two of his own Pokeballs, out of which came his faithful Espeon and Umbreon. Dragonite went over to stand beside Mewtwo. The two lines of Pokemon (or metal clones) faced each other, with their trainers (if they had one) standing behind them.

Giovanni, Nascour, and Evice began to laugh. "Do you honestly believe any of you young fools can stop the likes of us?" Nascour said mockingly.

"Yes, yes we do," Red said, speaking for once. "Especially since you've all been defeated by us before; what will make this time any different? Our Pokemon outnumber yours seven to six!"

"Oh, I think you'll find that to be terribly incorrect," Giovanni replied business-like, but still threateningly. And indeed, from behind Giovanni's shoulder appeared his faithful Persian; the cat leaped off of his shoulder and joined the face-off. "Especially with your pathetic excuse for a defense." He looked at Pichu and Jigglypuff in particular, who both puffed up in anger.

"And what is different this time," Evice said wickedly with a wry smile, "is that this will be the first ever…" he took a quick second to recount the Pokemon for himself. "…seven on seven battle in Pokemon history, which shall be very interesting indeed! And when your protectors are defeated, you will be overrun by Master Hand's Armies, and all your little efforts to protect the freedom of your precious world will have been in vain!"

_"Enough talk,"_ Mewtwo commanded, still looking only at Metal Mewtwo. _"Prepare to enter a new world of vision with which you are not yet familiar!"_

And after Mewtwo had shared his method of threatening, the two rows leapt into action: Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Dragonite, Blastoise, Espeon, and Umbreon on one side, Metal Pichu, Metal Jigglypuff, Metal Mewtwo, Rhydon, Metagross, Tyranitar, and Persian on the other.

* * *

**Character Locations**

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo, Metal Bowser, Giovanni, Nascour, Evice, Metal Pichu, Metal Jigglypuff, Metal Mewtwo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)**

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens

**?:** Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma


	33. Chapter 14:2: Wire Frames: Remixed

**Chapter 14: Barricade of the Battlefields**

**{2} Wire Frames: Remixed**

As the northern region of the battle commenced, the Nintendo Alliance pushed back the Wire Frames almost with ease, being trained for much more skilled opponents than these virtually mindless moldings of Master Hand's. At the height of their triumph, when it seemed that the battle would be over before the day's end, was when everything took a steep turn for the worse.

About the first ten thousand Wire Frames, which was what could be seen from the front, were indeed the standard male and female incarnations, weak both in strength and reaction time. But those pushing at the front, including King Dedede, Ganondorf, and Prince Peasley, could not have been prepared for what came next.

The battle with the Aparoids raged on above them, and while occasionally a stray enemy or Arwing would lay siege on those below, for the most part the two fronts were separated by height. The ten thousand normal Wire Frames dwindled and were almost gone, but it was impossible to notice until they were upon them that the ones behind these were very different. Instead of coming merely in male and female forms, as hinted in a previous chapter, the rest of the still-countless body behind them instead appeared in the likeness of each of the Original 25, but still retaining the Wire Frame anatomy with a visible heart somewhere in the center of the translucent purple material and the red SSB insignia in place of their faces. They did not seem to be organized by which one they resembled, but rather were grouped into many battalions of 25 (or 26, counting the second Ice Climber Frame), and their diversity became terribly clear to those in the front when the last male and female Wire Frames had been destroyed.

These, in contrast to the weaker beings, fought with much more skill, much more agility, much more power, and much more endurance, no longer subjecting themselves to being destroyed in massive amounts. Also extremely significant was the shocking fact that they could perform any attack which the ones whom they had been duplicated from had been able to: even special attacks based upon energy or supernatural powers. Pikachu Frames shot forth bolts of blue lightning. Zelda and Ness Frames used magic and PSI powers. Even Kirby Frames inhaled lesser warriors and mimicked their victims' strengths. It was a nightmare for every confident Alliance member; no longer could their enemy's attacks or strategies be predicted or fundamentally overcome in any simple way. The previously progressing army of the Alliance was forced to a terrible halt, and soon was being pushed back. Despite the northernmost forces' efforts to keep the enemy on one side, Wire Frames began to penetrate around the far end and creep around from behind the unsuspecting flanks.

Ganondorf yelled in rage as those beside him were being pushed back by their exponentially trickier enemies. He tried to hold off the Wire Frames alone, and though for a while his strength served him well in overpowering every Wire Frame which confronted him, this act of pride soon resulted in him being isolated within Master Hand's advancing troops, and surrounded by a circle of curiously gathered Ganondorf Frames, among them being the notorious Metal Ganondorf.

The King of Evil laughed loudly and defiantly. "Let's see you worthless clones do this!" He held up the back of his left hand in a tight fist, and from within it glowed brightly the sacred triangle of the Triforce of Power. Then Ganondorf's figure turned black, and began to mutate. His figure grew by many times its original size, his legs and arms became beastly claws with long black tips, and two deadly spiraling horns protruded from his skull. As he changed, his laugh became a mighty roar. Ganondorf finally stopped growing and mutating, equaling Biggoron in size, and the giant shape of Ganon settled, its monstrous colors of black, red, and green becoming visible. It gripped in each hand a gigantic blade with sharp, jagged edges which could slice through solid rock like tissue paper. Its eyes glowed white, and the beast continued to roar challengingly to the Ganondorf Frames which still surrounded him, waiting for them to flee in terror.

But instead, each and every Ganondorf Frame began mutating and growing in the exact manner which he had just done, and within a matter of seconds, he was now surrounded by thirty full-sized Ganon Frames and one Metal Ganon.

Ganon's fierce confidence dwindled slightly at this truly irritating mimicking of what he thought would be his trump card, his ace in the hole, his final overpowering cliché. Nevertheless, he made the first swing of the blade, beheading one Ganon Frame and knocking back several others.

Meanwhile, Mr. Game & Watch and Young Link also met match with their metal equals, and they engaged in what they knew to be a fated fight as well.

Noon came and passed by, but the northern front knew nothing of what was going on with the rest of the war.

…

Bowser mauled directly into his metal rival and gave a great heaving push. But his efforts barely moved Metal Bowser an inch. The iron beast bellowed with amusement, and threw Bowser off with a firm shove.

The King of the Koopas got back up, breathing heavily, and scrutinized his opponent. _I know I can't beat Mario,_ he thought. _But now can't even beat myself? How pathetic! I'm not going to let it happen this way!_ He watched Metal Bowser and waited for him to make a move, the vast crowd around the two of them cheering always.

And suddenly, Metal Bowser leapt forward and engaged Bowser in a furious brawl of claws, teeth, spikes, and hulk. At one point, Metal Bowser grabbed his opponent and hurled him into the air. Bowser, without thinking, performed a Bowser Bomb, but only to land very painfully on Metal Bowser's raised spiked shell—made of solid iron.

Bowser roared in pain; not only had his tail side been wounded, but his face and stomach were cut, scratched, and bruised from the fight. He lay wearily on his stomach, and saw Metal Bowser stomp triumphantly up to him. It prepared to release a stream of fire to finish him off…

_Great idea! Thank you, loser!_ Bowser rejoiced silently. With all the strength he could muster, he took a quick, deep breath, and before his metal enemy could act any further, he had shot out a burst of red-hot flames from his mouth, which consumed the unsuspecting beast. Metal Bowser's agonizing features melted away; its face became a mess of liquid, and, like Metal Zelda and Metal Fox before him, it was reduced to a puddle of molten metal.

Despite the surge of victory that flowed through Bowser's veins, this was no time to celebrate or rest. His minions behind him charged forward to meet the disappointed Wire Frames, and he soon got up and did all he could to join them with a painful limp in his stride.

…

Team Star Wolf and the Bounty Hunters put into play their every last trick and talent to engage the Aparoids while trying to survive at the same time. They were a virtual wall of lasers that soon became feared by the Aparoids above all their other adversaries. Block after block of Aparoid fliers attempted to break apart the group or got in their way, and each of them were overwhelmed by the teamwork of the squadron of rogues. Occasionally Wolf or one of the Bounty Hunters would shout directions via radio, and the group would move or act accordingly.

After hours of what Leon called "child's play", the squadron had to veer off to maneuver through the chaos between an area where Poo was using a devastating PK Starstorm and where a massive explosion caused by a troop of Bob-ombs directed by Captain Bobbery and Bombette was enveloping dozens of Wire Frames. But as they proceeded through the gap, a large mysterious floating cube blocked their way out.

"Under!" Wolf commanded, and at just the right time the squadron dived down and under the hovering box, rose back up on the other side, performed a U-turn, and faced the strange cube…

It was composed of eight smaller cubes which had the potential to turn and rotate, and were colored red, yellow, green, blue, or purple on each side. The box radiated a menacing, vengeful glow. As Star Wolf and the others watched it, the smaller cubes turned and rotated until four purple sides were facing them. But the four combined sides created a familiar face…

"Pigma!" Wolf yelled in surprised anger. "Hasn't Star Fox destroyed you more than once already?"

A bizarre, echoing, pig-like, machine-induced snort came from the purple face of Pigma on the box. "That was before, you fools!"

"Before what?" Panther asked.

"Before Master Hand brought me back in this unique form. You'd be surprised who else he's revived to serve him! The Shadow Queen, for one—"

"We've had enough of your slander, you treacherous swine!" Leon croaked, his independent eyes both focused on the floating box. "Not exactly sure how you've managed to survive _again_, but I'm sure Wolf will order us to obliterate you for good any second now!"

"Indeed I will," Wolf agreed. "Any last words, bacon butt?"

Pigma snorted with laughter again. "I should be asking you that very thing. For I used to consider you members of Team Star Wolf as old friends! But it looks like you're on the wrong side, so I, being the generous person I am, will give you _one chance_, and _only_ one to commit to Master Hand's service if you value your pathetic lives!"

"Never!" Wolf growled with a deep hatred of the greedy traitor before him.

"Fine then!" Pigma snorted. "But I warn you, Master Hand has granted me a new trick that not even you or Star Fox can escape! Watch and die!"

Pigma's face began to glow white, and then from the face shot forth a beam of white energy the same shape and size of Pigma's face: huge, and only with two tiny holes for eyes and snout slits through which no Arwing could possibly escape. And what was more, Pigma somehow had somehow made himself appear on three other sides as well as from above and below and discharged the same deadly force, so now six massive white pig faces were closing in on the small squadron, each laughing cruelly, greedy for revenge.

"There's no way out!" Wolf deduced.

"So what, we just sit here and die?" Noxus fumed.

"Yup, basically," Leon confirmed.

"This can't happen…I still haven't squared the rematch I owe Samus Aran…" Sylux said hatefully.

"What a dark and dreary end, it seems," Panther said solemnly, fingering a red rose while thinking about all the love he would be leaving behind.

The six beams continued to slowly close in, Pigma's laughter growing louder and louder, the box watching the destruction of his enemies from a distance.

Suddenly a sphere of blue energy materialized around the squadron from a source above them. The six Pigma faces collided into the sphere, but were all absorbed by the shield's energy. Then a set of Twin Lasers from the same source fired rapidly at the dumbfounded Pigma cube, and the vengeful swine exploded with…another puff of purple smoke…

_How strange_, Wolf thought. _That's happened more than once…_

Meanwhile, the rest of the squadron, relieved, looked as the Cloud Runner descended from the skies and drew level with them.

"Thought you could use some help," Krystal said matter-of-factly. She set down her blue staff in the cockpit beside her, which was still glowing from its recent use.

Wolf, although thankful for Krystal saving their lives, was curious about her appearance. "Krystal," he said, "I thought Fox told you to stay home on this one. Couldn't resist the action, eh?"

Krystal, from inside the cockpit, looked like she was trying to think of a good excuse, but then said, "Yes, that's about right…where is Fox, anyway? And the rest of the team, for that matter?"

"Ah, Krystal," Panther crooned. "The lovely sapphire rose…Panther will protect you; you needn't worry about Team Star Fox. But since you asked, and I am never one to refuse a question from a lady of your elegance, McCloud and his team are off to Master Hand's room, on a very important mission…it would be best not to disturb them now, they are most likely far distant at this point in any case. Wouldn't you care to join us for the time being, no?"

Krystal thought for a moment. "…Alright…but as soon as we take care of all these Aparoids, I'm heading straight there. I didn't come all this way just to wait for him to come back." She lowered her visor, which was part of the Cornerian Pilot outfit she wore. "I'm ready!"

And so the scoundrels of Lylat and the ruthless Bounty Hunters of the Galactic Federation reentered the fray.

* * *

**Character Locations**

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo, Metal Bowser, Giovanni, Nascour, Evice, Metal Pichu, Metal Jigglypuff, Metal Mewtwo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)**

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens

**?:** Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma


	34. Chapter 14:3:The Ultimate Pokemon Battle

**Chapter 14: Barricade of the Battlefields**

**{3} The Ultimate Pokemon Battle**

As the battle commenced, Mewtwo and his metal counterpart immediately rose to the afternoon skies and began an epic battle of psychic powers. Pichu and Jigglypuff in their turn tussled with Metal Pichu and Jigglypuff. Wes's Espeon and Umbreon ganged up on Giovanni's sly Persian. This left Dragonite and Blastoise to face Rhydon, Metagross, and Tyranitar.

It was a simple yet strange fact that even though all the trainers and villains shouted commands and attacks and encouragement to their Pokemon, these mixed words did little to aid the battlers. But there was nothing else the humans could do, so they kept doing it in order to feel important and like they were actually helping.

Mewtwo and Metal Mewtwo flashed in and out of appearance, hurling Shadow Balls at each other in between. Espeon, faster than its partner, lunged at Persian, who jumped out of the way. The cat then Slashed at Espeon, knocking it down and severely weakening it. Umbreon in anger used Bite, but missed again. The light-footed feline used Pay-Day, throwing coins at Umbreon. The Dark evolution of Eevee dodged all the coins except one, which did not hurt much but irritated him to the extreme; Umbreon darkened the battle arena, and sent a bright Confuse Ray towards Persian. The beam of light struck the cat's eyes and disconcerted its mind, sending it into wild spasms.

Meanwhile, Tyranitar began with a devastating Earthquake, forcing Dragonite to Fly into the sky and Blastoise to Withdraw to the safety of its shell. Metagross used Meteor Shower while Rhydon simultaneously used Thunder, both directed at Dragonite. But the majestic Pokemon protected itself with a Mirror Coat, and then finished its Fly by diving straight at Tyranitar, knocking it over and causing it to slam into the ground with a resounding _thud_. Blastoise, after the danger of the Earthquake was gone, came back out of his shell, ready to help.

On the other half of the arena, Metal Pichu and Metal Jigglypuff faced their originators, two on two, side by side. Jigglypuff began with an unsuspected Sing attack, putting Metal Jigglypuff to sleep, but Metal Pichu escaped by using Agility, and with its solid 200 pound weight despite its tiny size, it grabbed Pichu, rolled backwards with him, and hurled Pichu directly into the air while smashing him with its iron head. Before Jigglypuff could stop singing and help, Metal Pichu used Thunderbolt and damaged Pichu once again, although fortunately, since he was an electric type, he was resistant to the move. Jigglypuff walked up close to her sleeping clone and used Rest to create that satisfying effect of sending an opponent soaring away with a great deal of pain for such a simple move. However, as one may well know, this move also required the Balloon Pokemon to temporarily fall asleep, leaving her wide open to Metal Pichu.

Back in the sky, Mewtwo realized that his duel with Metal Mewtwo was getting him nowhere. _We're too evenly matched_, he thought. _And it will eventually defeat me because of its advantage in mass…but…_ Mewtwo realized something. _Who said this battle needs to remain restricted to the little groups we've instinctively formed? _And with that, the wise, quick-thinking Pokemon dodged one more jab from Metal Mewtwo, charged up a healthy-sized Shadow Ball, and hurled it down below, although in his haste he wasn't quite sure where it would hit…

Rhydon, preparing for another Thunder, was caught by surprise when, directly after Tyranitar's fall, a large Shadow Ball knocked it over next to Tyranitar. Metagross looked up at Mewtwo, and prepared a Hyper Beam.

Dragonite, seeing what Metagross was doing, tried to use Dragon Claw when suddenly Persian leapt onto his face and began scratching mercilessly. Blastoise, however, was open to fire upon Metagross with a forceful Hydro Pump. The high-pressure cannonball of water shot rapidly out of the giant turtle's shoulder cannon, and nailed Metagross just as it released the Hyper Beam…

…which, misdirected, did not hit Mewtwo, but veered to the side and consumed Metal Mewtwo. The clone disintegrated in the high-energy beam, leaving behind smoking fumes in the air.

Mewtwo came back down as Tyranitar and Rhydon rose back up and restabilized themselves. Dragonite finally managed to fling off the Confused Persian, which collided into Rhydon but began attacking it instead. Espeon and Metagross interlocked in a furious Psychic clash, pushing into each others' minds and trying to get the better of the other. Umbreon went around Rhydon and Persian and crept up behind Tyranitar, who, amidst the chaos, could not hear Nascour screaming at it to turn around.

Things did not look good for Pichu and Jigglypuff, however. Pichu had instinctively used a Skull Bash to save the Resting Jigglypuff from Metal Pichu, and met his target, but also caused himself a concussion from ramming into the metal body. Metal Pichu flew a few feet away, Jigglypuff woke up, and Pichu rubbed his head in pain. Jigglypuff charged up for a Rollout, and released, but instead of hitting Metal Pichu, collided into the returning Metal Jigglypuff, sending it towards Metagross (Metal Jigglypuff, being a balloon, did not weigh nearly as much).

Dragonite proceeded to begin generating a Hyper Beam of his own. Blastoise, seeing the trouble on the right, used Surf to ride over the battle on a tidal wave and come crashing down onto Metal Pichu. The result was Blastoise collapsing shell-first onto the drenched clone, and although there was a slight dent in Blastoise's shell, Metal Pichu had been flattened and disfigured beyond repair; its tiny deformed body, almost pancake-like, stopped moving in defeat.

Espeon was beginning to fail in his struggle with Metagross, and Mewtwo, seeing this, stepped in. Landing next to Espeon, the humanoid cat focused his own supreme psychic powers together with Espeon's against Metagross. Their combined effort overwhelmed the X-faced creature, and it slumped to the ground.

Umbreon leapt suddenly in a Faint Attack against Tyranitar, but it unfortunately was not affected much, as it was also part Dark type. The colossal green Pokemon unleashed a merciless Mega Punch on Umbreon, KO'ing Espeon's companion.

"Umbreon! Are you alright? Return!" Wes, holding up a Pokeball, returned the fallen black-and-gold Pokemon with a jet of red light.

As Metagross collapsed, Metal Jigglypuff's round form smacked into its head, and, as ineffective as it was, it provoked a much more dangerous response.

The metal puffball simply lay there dazed, but from the steel spider-like creature appeared shafts of hazardous white light. Metagross closed its dark red eyes, as if it were about to…

"Explosion!" Red cried out as he comprehended the situation. "Jigglypuff, Pichu, get out of there!"

"You too, Blastoise!" Gary instructed.

And so all those around the suicidal Metagross evacuated the premises—all, that is, except for the still-dazed Metal Jigglypuff…

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Needless to say, Metagross exploded.

After the dust cloud which was cause by the self-destruction cleared, remaining in the battle arena were only Rhydon, Persian (no longer confused), Tyranitar, Mewtwo, Jigglypuff, Pichu (still with a headache), Dragonite, Blastoise, Espeon, and a humungous black spot where Metagross had previously been. Red, seeing Pichu's state of injury, tried to return him, but the yellow Pokemon jumped out of the way of the red beam of light, shaking his head. Red understood. He would not quit just yet.

Mewtwo and Espeon, recognizing the strength of their teamwork, focused another combined Psychic attack, this time on Tyranitar. But once again in their haste they forgot Tyranitar's Dark properties, which rendered it immune to all Psychic attempts. The huge Pokemon caused another Earthquake, sending several of the humans to their knees, and the vibrating and jolting was too much for Pichu's head to bear. But instead of fainting as the villains expected, the skies rapidly darkened with mutinous-looking thunderclouds above the arena, and a Thunder surge so strong came down that even Rhydon's Lightningrod quality was only able to absorb a small fraction of the lightning into its horn. The rest struck furiously upon Rhydon with so much power that even its supposed type advantage was not able to prevent the agonizing pain which followed. The Rock/Ground beast roared in rage and agony, and fell face forward onto the ground, defeated. But this Thunder was not well-controlled at all; Rhydon was, in fact, the luckiest of its victims. Another surging chain of blinding white crashed upon Blastoise, and yet another hit the Cipher 2nd in Command himself.

Sadly, it proved fatal for both.

For Blastoise was weak against even the feeblest of Electric attacks; something like this was far too much for any Water Type to bear. It moaned deeply, and tried too hard to endure the hit. Blastoise's shell cracked in half, and the azure turtle lay slain upon the ground, much to the horror of its former trainer, Gary. The spiky-haired youth ran up to Blastoise, trying to arouse him, but there was nothing for it.

And, without question, such an extremely powerful bolt, if not survivable by a solid durable Pokemon such as Blastoise, certainly could not be so to the strong but lean Nascour. He screamed, his white hair flailing, his red eyes bursting with hatred, and died.

Pichu and Rhydon, needless to say, had survived by sheer luck, and the effort of their survival caused them to immediately faint. Both were returned to their respective Pokeballs.

If anyone was more horrified by this than Gary, it was Red. He, as Pichu's owner, felt somehow responsible for Blastoise's death, and could not shake off the guilt building inside him even though it wasn't his fault.

It was Tyranitar's.

Tyranitar, whose owner, despite the perishing of one of his own, cackled with insane laughter in response to the tragedy. Tyranitar joined his master in evil rejoicing, roaring savagely and advancing upon those remaining.

And it could only be imagined how Pichu felt. Jigglypuff just stood there, feeling insignificant, helpless, and unable to do anything.

Persian, amidst the general shock of the event, suddenly leapt at Espeon, and they engaged once more in a battle of agility. Mewtwo and Dragonite, on the other hand, now faced the murderous titan. The dragon Pokemon used Dragonflame while Mewtwo hurled another Shadow Ball, both no longer only intent on victory, but on vengeance on behalf of their fallen comrade. Tyranitar took both blows, and although it appeared to do some amount of damage, it restabilized itself and returned with Rock Throw. Mewtwo stopped each boulder in midair, and then tossed them back into Tyranitar. Afterwards, not able to stop in his burning anger, Mewtwo used his mind to take control of Tyranitar's body, levitated it into the air, and began choking it with his outstretched hand from the same distance, Mewtwo's dark purple eyes inflamed.

This left it open for Dragonite to finish it off. Dragonite let out a chilling Ice Beam which froze Tyranitar so that it could not move even further. Even though it could have sufficed by just knocking the immobilized enemy out, Dragonite went further and took the risk of the Metronome technique. Every known move whirred in a rhythmic rotation inside Dragonite's mind, finally ending on the one he'd hoped for: Fissure. The dragon flew high into the sky, among the now-parting thunderclouds, and then plummeted in a sitting position at a very high speed back towards the earth. The force of Dragonite's impact with the ground rent the field in two, and a huge gap widened beneath where Dragonite had landed (and had immediately rose back into the air from). Tyranitar was not so fortunate, however, for as the Fissure spread wide enough, Mewtwo released his grip on the massive killer, and Tyranitar descended endlessly down into the darkness, not even able to make sound because it was still frozen.

Meanwhile, the cat-like brawl between Espeon and Persian still continued, evenly matched. But Espeon at last managed to Headbutt the sinister cat in the stomach, and Persian's flying path descended as well into the gaping Fissure. Persian shrieked for its master as it disappeared into the deep nothingness.

The Fissure then closed, apparently satisfied with its takings. The arena, now blackened, destroyed by lightning, and misaligned due to the Fissure and Earthquakes, was what remained, now that the battle was won.

Lance went over and comforted and thanked Dragonite for its noble service. Gary kneeled next to his Blastoise, his first Pokemon, his head bowed upon its split and dented shell. Red stood motionlessly in denial. Wes soothed and thanked his faithful Espeon, and returned it to its Pokeball. Mewtwo and Jigglypuff still stood there, even Mewtwo on the ground, gazing at their remaining unarmed enemies. This should feel like a victory, yet it was not.

Giovanni and Evice, in their selfishness, no longer appeared disturbed by the losses of their loyal Pokemon or Nascour, but now were only concerned for their own safety, which had become an impending doom, for they were defenseless. Nascour lay sprawled in between them.

Lance glared at the two of them. "You have not paid the price yet. After this war, you will wish you had joined Nascour when you are punished for the crimes you have committed today, and throughout your entire lives."

"Ha!" Evice sneered. "That's what you think!"

He said this because a familiar remote-operated helicopter now was hovering towards Giovanni and the Cipher leader. They were trying to escape. It came too quickly for any of the others to respond, and was even now landing…they were going to get away…

A great infernal ball of deep orange and red fire burst directly into the helicopter, causing it to land, but not exactly smoothly or intact.

From above, the thunderclouds now cleared, a glittering rainbow was being left behind the trail of the legendary bird Ho-oh. Its seven-colored wings shown beautifully in the afternoon, and it squawked unforgettably as it elegantly flew away, its work finished.

Evice gazed dumbfounded at his ruined helicopter. "No," he ranted. "No, no, no, no, NO! NOT AGAIN! CURSE YOU, HO-OH! CURSE YOU ALL!" He began flailing about as if he were a small immature child who had just lost at a video game. Giovanni just stood gloomily several steps away with his arms folded business-like, brooding yet another defeat.

Red and the other heroes watched in amazement as the rainbow arched across the sky. With the battle over, the purple barrier disintegrated, reminding them of the battle still going on around them.

"_Everyone,"_ Mewtwo communicated, _"I don't think we need to worry about these two any longer. We must leave them here and rejoin the battle; it does not appear to be going as well as we thought…"_

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)**

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens

**?:** Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour


	35. Chapter 14:4: Reinforcements

**Chapter 14: Barricade of the Battlefields**

**{4} Reinforcements and Dededeinforcements**

As Mewtwo had said, the battle on the northern front was not going well. The enhanced Wire Frames had continued to push back the Alliance far enough so that when those in the arena finally triumphed, they found that the arena was an island in the midst of Master Hand's armies. Their allies were hundreds of feet behind them, so with the use of Dragonite and Mewtwo's gravity-defying expertise, they returned to the battle closer to the front (avoiding Aparoids and other flying hazards along the way).

The Boos continued to be an undefeated barrier against Bowser and his armies; Lady Bow and Bootler the Boos could not do much against the hundreds of their kin fighting against them. Dozens and scores of fighters fell on both sides, but the damage seemed to be more taxing upon the side of Nintendo's defenders.

And even in other areas, where the Pokemon, King Dedede's followers, the muster of the Mushroom, Beanbean, and Waffle Kingdoms, and the many races and species of Hyrule made war, prospects were looking bleak. The average death ratio changed from about 10:1 for the average Alliance fighter to nearly 1:1. And Master Hand would not run out of Wire Frames any time soon, while the Alliance's numbers were extremely limited. If this kept up, they would be completely overrun by the end of another 24 hours. And all their efforts, all their determination to fight for freedom would all be in vain, wasted, worthless.

Another long hour of violence passed, the defenders of the Nintendo World ever diminishing, slowly but surely. Even Biggoron was having difficulties with the many variations of Wire Frames: they jumped out of read of his giant footsteps, shot projectiles at his sensitive eyes, and scaled his limbs like ants, trying to bring the colossus down.

Young Link had triumphed over his metal rival only when a foolishly deployed B-bomb fell from an Arwing and engulfed a number of Wire Frames extremely close to the boundary between the two armies, including Metal Young Link. The Kokiri boy had only been saved when an old Goron fighting alongside him noticed their imminent peril, and saw Young Link. He grabbed Young Link without asking and hurled the youth back into the Alliance army, shouting, "Good luck, Brother!" as the B-bomb enveloped him as well. Young Link was fairly sure that this had been Darunia, the old Goron king, making his last sacrifice.

The Ganon massacre had, fortunately, seemed to turn out as a success for the original beast. For even though all the Ganondorf Frames had the same potential and powers as him, they were too inexperienced with the change into Ganon, and only Ganon himself had the mastery to execute the monster's strikes to the fullest. It had cut down Ganon Frame after Ganon Frame, and at the end when all others were destroyed, ceremoniously finished by impaling Metal Ganon with both its swords.

This, however, did not seem to kill the iron creature or even discourage it in the slightest. It took its identical but solid metal swords and did the same in a jeering way, pushing both its swords through Ganon's chest and leaving them there in a manner eerily similar to a certain circumstance in Pirates of the Caribbean. Except Ganon was not immortal. Ganon groaned tortuously and fell to one knee. The beast shifted and mutated again, turning back into Ganondorf, but still wounded grievously. Dark blood seeped from the two holes, and Ganondorf looked up at his metal conqueror to get his last glimpse of life before it would strike him down…

That is, it would have, had it not been for three purple figures rushing by. Vivian and her sisters happened to notice the giant metal beast during their scramble, and as one the Shadow Sirens sent three barrages of purple flames upon Metal Ganon. Its metal features melted away like Metal Bowser's and it disappeared into a puddle of molten iron which, due to Ganon's size and the sloping of the current terrain, became more of a small pond, purple flames still flickering across it.

"Come on, sisters," Vivian said breathlessly. "Mario isn't around here. He must have gone to the fortress. Hurry!" The Shadow Sirens disappeared into the ground, too busy to heed the dying man who had only been a few yards away from them.

King Dedede, to his credit, _had_ fought hard. To his name could be accounted the defeat of at least 50 to 100 Wire Frames. But he was exhausted, and had himself pulled back behind his own lines. This was all looking hopeless to him and not likely to end well at all, especially for leaders like him. But when he saw Ganondorf fall, that was the end of his line. If he stayed here, he would be next. And as much as he believed in courage and bravery and freedom and all of that, this was not a cause which he was planning on dying for.

"RETREAT!" The king bellowed to his armies, the forces of Dreamland.

The Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, Cappys, and all the rest halted and listened to the voice of their leader in confusion. King Dedede repeated his order, louder.

At first hesitantly but then obediently, Dedede's followers began fleeing in the opposite direction, back towards the city, the cowardly king the swiftest among them.

Of course, the others of the Alliance beside Dreamland noticed this. Young Link, who had landed coincidentally not far from Dedede, scurried on his fresh legs and overtook the king, forcing him to temporarily halt.

"What are you DOING?" Young Link yelled. "This battle isn't over yet! Would you doom us all?"

"Better you than me! I'd at least like to live, even if maybe things are ruled different than they used to be. Now get out of my way, kid!" The fat penguin pushed Young Link roughly down and continued waddling. Young Link watched in dismay.

As he sat on the ground, watching the forces of Dreamland leave, he suddenly felt a bony nudge in his back, and felt hot animal breath on the back of his neck. Young Link turned around and saw before him Rambi the Rhino, with an urgent look in his eye silently communicating that something had gone terribly wrong, and that he needed to go with him.

The boy nodded understandingly, and climbed onto the rhino which bumpily but safely and swiftly bore him away across the Battlefields.

Mr. Game & Watch continued to duel his metal-composed self, but still neither one could gain advantage over the other. Metal Mr. Game & Watch was by far the strangest and most unique of all the metal characters: he was somehow both 3-D and 2-D at the same time. So occupied were they with their duel that they paid little heed to the war raging around them, and consequentially did not have much of an impact save on each other as far as the gradual attrition of the armies were concerned.

And now with the pusillanimous departure of King Dedede and Dreamland, the battle was going ever more the worse for the Alliance. There seemed no hope left; nothing seemed to have been yet accomplished far away at Master Hand's Fortress, and they were likely to completely run out of assistance before any form of success was achieved. The dauntless determination with which the Nintendo Alliance had begun this final effort to restore peace had been nearly completely extinguished. The sun seemed to go down with the last of their hope. The Boos only grew stronger with the approaching of night.

…

Finally, the last guardians of the Nintendo World arrived.

The setting sun caused the entire sky to glow orange and yellow and red. From the great ball attempting to slip below the horizon it seemed the first newcomers had appeared.

Ten black silhouettes against the huge bright sun drew nearer across the sky. With their forthcoming increased in volume a faintly familiar buzzing and whirring sound, the sound of nine propellers working to keep their vessels aloft. When they eventually came into clearer view from the west (for that is where the sun sets), everyone, Wire Frames and Nintendo defenders alike, stopped everything they were doing to watch this small yet strangely significant airborne party fly into the battlefield.

Nine airplanes, each of different bright colors. One magic carpet. Diddy Kong had made his return.

In the lead were Diddy Kong himself in his red airplane and Taj the blue Elephant Genie, obviously riding atop the flying carpet. Behind them was the rest of the Diddy Kong Racing clan: Conker the squirrel, Krunch the crocodile, Tiptup the turtle, Bumper the Panda, Timber the tiger, Pipsy the mouse, Drumstick the rooster, and even T.T. the walking, talking clock. Each was ready to fight for the safety of everything Diddy Kong had been telling them about during the time of his absence. For as Diddy Kong had come to the aid of Timber's Island, so, the chimp thought, the island's residents were obliged to return the favor if the circumstance arose. And the circumstance had most definitely arisen. This was where the acrobatic monkey had been this whole time: traveling via jetpack to an island he had nearly forgotten, but still bringing back memories of his old friends which he knew would be able to help him.

Banjo, of course, had once been part of this companionship as well, but this had ended with the eruption of the Copyright Wars. Conker, somehow, had managed to come as well, which didn't seem to make sense since he supposedly belonged to the Microsoft World. The most plausible explanation for this would be that Microsoft had not required the squirrel's services for quite some time, and so therefore made it easier for Conker to escape and return to Timber's Island without being noticed.

History aside, the friendly creatures of the days of Diddy Kong Racing had come to the aid of the Nintendo World in its time of need, and judging by the targets of their weaponry, whom they sided with was unmistakably clear. The airplanes zoomed above the sea of Wire Frames, dropping mines and shooting large red missiles. A few of them abetted the Cornerian Fleet with combating the still significantly large Aparoid army. Taj the Genie, unique as he was, acted similarly to the others, except instead of missiles he shot from his hands sparkling whitish-blue balls of energy. As few as these fresh helpers were, they did much to restore the diminished morale of those who had almost given up.

And they were not alone in arrival.

From the direction of the city itself marched forth a somehow forgotten faction of Bowser's army, one which had played a less significant role in recent years since the days of Yoshi's Island, one which had remained in another dimension from lack of usage. Shy Guy's Toy Box, to be exact.

General Guy in his heavily armored tank advanced in the front of the thousand Shy Guys of the Shy Guy army. Every imaginable color and variation of Shy Guy was present in vast quantities: Stilt Guys, Spear Guys, Stack Guys, and even non-insane Flame Guys. Interestingly, while General Guy had changed into 3-D when he entered this dimension, all the other Shy Guys remained as their paper incarnations.

"One! Two! One! Two!" General Guy commanded, keeping all the Shy Guys in perfect order. His multitude made a direct course where most of the Boos where still proving undefeatable. The white-clad Shy Guy sporting a decorated officer's uniform reached Bowser, and leaned over the edge of the tank towards his king from the hatch. "King Bowser! I bring reinforcements from our residence inside the Toy Box. It feels strangely pleasing, sir, to be…er…3-D once more. I overheard some travelers in our domain discussing a war, the outcome determining the future of the Nintendo World, and thought it prudent to bring my troops as quickly as possible. Permission to assist, and if so, where would you have us focus?"

Bowser, still exhausted from his tussle with Metal Bowser, could not find words to express how relieved he was for these loyal reinforcements. He spoke gruffly but in a very pleased manner. "Excellent work, General Guy! You come at the most opportune of times! Permission to assist granted; your help is needed now more than ever. As for where to focus…" The Koopa King looked again at the battle at hand: difficult Wire Frames, yet even more difficult, seemingly impregnable, the traitorous Boos, led by their wicked monarch. "General, do you have any knowledge of a way to defeat the Boos? They have turned against us and sided with our true enemies: Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and…some professor with a name similar to E. Gadd's."

General Guy expertly screened the large hectic scene with his black mask eyes, a stubby fingerless arm in a thinking pose. "Hmmm…King Boo has betrayed us? How very disappointing…a Star usually works…do you happen to have one?"

Bowser shook his head.

"Hmmm…then…the best way I know to fool a ghost into defeat is to feign ignorance while turned away, then when they are closest, inflict an attack which can penetrate spiritual beings such as themselves…"

"But what do we have that can do that, General?" Bowser asked.

"Why," General Guy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "paper, of course!"

Meanwhile, from the South, yet another unexpected surprise marched forth. Jam-Jars, the brother of Bottles, led the eighty Jinjos from their homeland of the Isle O' Hags. The army veteran mole with his green uniform and sunglasses pointed forward at the Wire Frames and yelled, "For Bottles and the rest of the Nintendo World, the land to which we owe our allegiance! Jinjos, to avenge my brother's death, and to secure the safety and well-being of this world so that we may perhaps one day return to it, I say, FIGHT!"

The cry went up: "Jinjo!" A flurry of color and sparkles ensued as the multicolored Jinjos lifted off from the ground and collided invincibly into the Wire Frames, tearing through the enemy lines like a savage, beautiful rainbow across the sky.

And this was not all.

From the east now approached the other missing member of the Resistance, and with him came the fruits of his absence. Flying in the opposite direction of Diddy Kong and his companions, The Rito Tribe descended upon the Wire Frames with spears in hand, the Rito Postman chief among them (other than the Rito Chief himself). Tetra and her pirates jumped off of the backs of some of the Ritos and with pirate cries sprung at the Wire Frames with their swords. Valoo the red dragon roared and spewed a burst of fire into the midst of their enemies while airborne, the colors almost blending with the setting sun.

In summary, the morale and hope of the Nintendo Alliance had been rekindled by the new arrivals, and the Wire Frames, as difficult to face as they were in their 25 different incarnations, began to be pushed back once more. The Boos' weakness was being exploited by the paper Shy Guys, which tore through the ghosts' supernatural fabric like…well, like paper. The defense against Master Hand's throngs was going strong and well, but they could only hope the offense was faring the same…

**END OF CHAPTER….**

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)**

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia


	36. Chapter 15:1: Animal Antics

**Chapter 15: The Other Laboratory**

**{1} Animal Antics**

Professor E. Gadd took off in his hovercraft with Mumbo, Humba, Banjo, & Kazooie on board as the war commenced. He and the rest of those assigned to push towards the base outside of Master Hand's room (where the Wire Frames were being created and all their technology was produced) were situated on the southern side of the line of armies, for this base was located just below the room, and it would be easiest to reach from here. Not that it would be easy at all.

They could see the band of fighters in their arrow point formation heading towards Master Hand's room, and beyond them distantly could spot some of the defenders ready to hold the line. A good number of these defenders, about half, were down here, of course, to hold back the southern hosts of Wire Frames as well.

But what Gadd's lot (consisting of his hovercraft, the creatures of the Kongo Jungle, the Topis and Polar Bears, the Yoshis, Mumbo, and Humba) were required to do was not defensive in any way. For they would have to penetrate through Master Hand's armies, and yet not by the V-arrangement strategy being implemented by the others, but by some other means. In addition to those listed, Dr. Mario had decided to go along with this division as well, and obviously the original Yoshi and the entire Kong family (minus Diddy Kong) were also notable among them. Dr. Mario traveled ahead of the rest below the hovercraft; the animals and Yoshis, being less orderly than humans or other civilized species, had nothing against intertwining with each other as they began to charge down the long slope towards the multitude of Wire Frames.

As was the case with the defenders, this charge seemed to go by in slow motion, climactically instilling fear but at the same time courage within the heart of each fighter, bringing to pass the realization that this was it, that after this nothing would ever be the same again whether the result was good or ill, and that this could be their last day of life to shine forth their bravery and strength of character and prove their timeless loyalty to righteousness and to everything they cherished rather than to the normal proceedings of everyday existence, or even to mortal life itself. The sensation of knowing they were doing the right thing and yet they might soon die for it was one of a kind.

So instead of bracing themselves, the assaulters, as they are to be called due to their goal of assaulting the base (and the defenders being the informal title of the those holding back the enemy), sped forward and propelled into the Wire Frames without intent of stopping until they had reached their goal. The hovercraft, high enough to be out of reach of the Wire Frames below, avoided the few Aparoids which diverted from their main body and attempted to attack it, and from which the professor was able to control his sturdy little E. Gadd robot that swept through the male/female Wire Frames underneath them with its miscellaneous weapons. Kazooie also successively fired fire, ice, and grenade eggs from her roost in Banjo's backpack. Mumbo, meanwhile, shot bursts of magic at the few following Aparoids, and Humba steered the craft surprisingly well for an Indian. A number of the Yoshis encased themselves within spotted eggs and bulldozed into their opponents while the rest used their heads, tails, feet, and egg-throwing ability to plow through the mindless purple slaves. The prime green Yoshi, of course, the one who bore Baby Mario and appeared alone in all the other dozens of Mario family gatherings, and the one who was a member of the Original 25, was the most adept at each of these techniques, and led his herd with his unique gentle confidence. Polar Bears stomped on the ground, destabilizing many of the Wire Frames around them. They also used their bulky masses to simply push their way through or shove away their aggressors. The small Topis either followed the paths created by these sunglasses-wearing bears or kicked their Freezies at clusters of enemies which made it very hard to miss, freezing solid at least one of them with each hit, often two or more. Furthermore, the present Kong family led the many beasts of the jungle into battle with by far the widest variety of techniques (possibly excepting Mario's partners from his paper adventures). Donkey Kong carried his Coconut Gun, firing many, many coconuts in spurts, headshots of course being the most effective. Tiny Kong brandished her Feather Crossbow, and took down a good number of Wire Frames as well, once in a while switching to her saxophone and blasting them away with waves of musical energy. Lanky Kong ran hand-standing the entire time, acrobatically leaping or dodging enemies, mowing down a line at a time with sudden bursts of speed, and kicking their faceless heads with his hand-like feet. Kiddy Kong was actually the only Kong who relied entirely on his own brute force, but with the size and weight of this mighty gorilla, he need not rely on anything else. Kiddy did, however, fight alongside his cousin Dixie, following her lead, and often teamed up with her and executed rolling and jumping maneuvers which confused and overwhelmed many adversaries. Cranky Kong, as unimaginable as it was, let loose his old-time karate moves, proving his boasting about his video game skills had not been only talk. Dixie Kong whipped around with her hair, occasionally jumping and spinning above the Wire Frames for a while when she was not in the mood to fight. Candy Kong was the only Kong who was not used to fighting; however, even though her charm was not enough to seduce such heartless foes, she proved to be so skilled in playing the flute on the move that her blasting waves of musical energy covered an area more than twice than that of Tiny's or any other Kong's. Funky Kong no longer had to pretend to be using his weapons, for now he was constantly triggering a hinged punching glove device with one hand while firing explosive oranges out of a bazooka over his left shoulder, sometimes switching the bazooka out for his innovative watermelon seed machine gun. The other various monkeys, like a bunch of Diddy Kongs, cart-wheeled, spun, and performed other acrobatics while pushing through the Wire Frames. Squawks the Parrot and his fellow birds pecked at random enemies from above or dropped rocks, coconuts, and large nuts. Expresso the Ostrich and his flock dashed through their foes with ease as if they were mere obstacles to avoid; the challenge inevitably turned into an unintentional race, as did the F-Zero trip so long ago which had resulted in Metal Captain Falcon's demise. Squitter the Spider incapacitated as many Wire Frames as he could by covering them in thick layers of spider webs. Ellie the Elephant simply trudged over the human-sized clones or knocked them over with high-pressure jets of water from her trunk (when her supply of water was depleted, she resorted to saliva). Finally, King Krusha Rool led his masses of crocodiles of varying shapes and sizes into the engagement. The king himself roared with the cheering approval of his minions as he used his punching gloves to their full potential, and also took advantage of a substantial amount of orange grenades. The many variations of Kremlings followed after his enthusiasm, most of them applying some sort of combating fashion involving biting and clawing. The enormous orange-like creatures (from Donkey Kong 64) were especially effective by using their extremely bouncy stomachs to cause any and all Wire Frames in their way to rebound off of them into each other, clearing paths with ease.

In this manner the assaulters broke through the opposing ranks, clearing through them and constantly moving on. The weak Wire Frames put up a rather pathetic resistance with an occasional jab or kick, but were capable of doing little to delay or slow them. As with the defenders, Gadd and the others found progress easy and rapid as they covered area much quicker than expected—that is, until they reached the end of Master Hand's remaining feeble Wire Frames separated only by gender, and penetrated into the enhanced and much more potent ones resembling each of the Original 25. This was the tougher meat, the bitterer layer of cake, the thick section of hard clay beneath the comparatively thin crust of dirt. Immediately, of course, their velocity slowed dramatically with the challenge of this arduous oppression. The assaulters kept on moving forward, but still it was more difficult for everyone. On the bright side, the complex metal base could be seen in the far distance, although there was no sign of Master Hand's room behind it.

Along with the tougher Wire Frames, two notorious clones made their appearance together in a lethal combination.

Metal Yoshi (returning) and Metal Dr. Mario (which could be differentiated from Metal Mario by the doctor's outfit). The latter was riding the former, almost reminiscent of old times.

Yoshi and Dr. Mario saw this dangerous pair, looked at each other, and nodded. They knew what fate had destined them to do. Dr. Mario jumped and landed on Yoshi's back, and the two faced their metal nemeses on the run.

…

The base grew gradually nearer, but casualties on the assaulters' side were not few. Especially the right and left edges were vulnerable to spontaneous attacks from the Wire Frames.

Robo-Gadd, as the professor liked to call it, came into contact with a pair of Pikachu Frames at one point. Unfortunately, both of them sent Thunderbolts into the robot simultaneously, and the prototype warrior exploded into scraps. Now the professor, without his remote-controlled mimic to occupy him, made sure Humba was doing well in keeping the hovercraft was on course, and then pressed a big red button on the control panel. A hatch beneath the craft opened up, and hundreds of what appeared to be flashlights fell out of the hatch somewhat miraculously. This confounded the rest of the assaulters until the flashlights folded out of themselves into full-fledged Combat R.O.B.'s, which hovered and scooted over the ground, bombarding the Wire Frames with lasers from their eyes and missiles.

…

The two ridden Yoshis ran side by side, firing projectiles (a.k.a. eggs and half-digested enemies) at each other. The Dr. Marios, meanwhile, each chucked megavitamins in the other's general direction while ducking to avoid eggs. The metal eggs and megavitamins obviously would cause much more pain if they hit, but fortunately, one of the advantages Yoshi and Dr. Mario had with not being metal was that they were lighter and more agile, and were successfully able to avoid such attempts.

During all of this, they were moving along with the assaulters towards the base; the only difference in their intents was that Metal Dr. Mario and Yoshi clearly were trying to prevent their originators from reaching it, and were trying everything in their power to do so.

Yoshi held an especial grudge against Metal Yoshi for his failure against it during the tournament, and was fiercer and more determined than ever not to fail this time around. He jumped and fluttered to avoid various obstructions in his way, primarily Wire Frames. Dr. Mario also saw this as his chance to make a personal contribution to the Alliance in destroying his metal clone.

After a while, the base looming ever nearer, the Metals grew almost desperate, and resorted to merciless full-contact blows in an effort to at least dislodge the Italian doctor from his adorable steed. Yoshi took these hits, however, with more resilience than their adversaries deemed possible; Dr. Mario clung on to Yoshi's back as if he did it for a living. Yoshi retaliated by first noticing a Jigglypuff Frame performing a Rollout attack at them, snaring it into his mouth effortlessly with his long sticky red tongue, and then spitting the still-spinning puffball at Metal Dr. Mario.

The purple ball, while not heavy, threw Metal Dr. Mario off balance as it smacked it in the head. And while such unsteadiness was occurring, Yoshi took advantage of this and threw Dr. Mario like an egg at them, ahead of their current position in order for the distances to even out by the time the human projectile reached its target.

"Yahoo!" the doctor cheered as he kicked sideways with both his feet, knocking Metal Dr. Mario off of Metal Yoshi altogether. The metal mustachioed figure fell back into the mass of Yoshis, monkeys, and other animals, and was presumably trampled to death (experts examining the remains later determined that it was an elephant which had completed the deed).

Back at the speeding combatants, Dr. Mario had, almost comically, landed upon the back of Metal Yoshi. Upon noticing this unwelcome rider, it bucked and jerked like a wild bull trying to throw him off. Yoshi, seeing this, did the only thing he knew would keep the doctor safe: he ate him. With the doctor in his mouth, however, Yoshi was unable to run with as much agility. He looked for a safe place to deposit the contents of his mouth, but before he could think clearly, Metal Yoshi was back at him, going for a headlong sideways ram. Yoshi instinctively spit Dr. Mario out straight upwards, and dodged his iron counterpart's bash just in time.

Dr. Mario cried out as he soared up into the air, hundreds of creatures passing by below, and then he descended, unable to see where he would land. Luckily for him, an ostrich happened to be what he fell upon, and it provided both a soft landing and a means of keeping up with the group.

Yoshi and Metal Yoshi were now at it heavy-duty; Yoshi seemed to sense that this would be his last chance to prove himself, his last encounter to finally defeat his metal rival. But he had no ideas as to how to win; Metal Yoshi was stronger in every way except speed, which didn't seem to be helping much at the moment. _The only thing hard enough to vanquish it_, Yoshi thought, _is itself..._

_Itself…that's it!_

The green dinosaur waited for Metal Yoshi to toss another metal egg, and sure enough, a heavy metal sphere soon came flying his way. But this time Yoshi was ready. He jumped with a yelp of effort and caught the egg in both his arms like a football. Landing softly on his red boots, Yoshi then strenuously rushed forward ahead of Metal Yoshi, running directly in front of it, and heaved the metal egg with all his might behind him.

It was a success. Metal Yoshi took his own weapon full in the face, causing it to double over and tumble to the ground.

Yoshi rejoiced in his own cute way, but before he could turn forward again to see how close they were, Metal Yoshi pounced forward again in anger, high into the air, and executed a deadly Yoshi Bomb which was calculated to nail Yoshi's noggin with lethal force from such a height. The maddened metal creature plummeted too quickly for Yoshi to react or stop; it was going to kill him…

Suddenly, to the rescue, a blue Arwing laser zapped Metal Yoshi into permanent inactivity, saving Yoshi from a gruesome end. But when Yoshi saw the craft responsible, he realized it wasn't an Arwing at all; it was a Wolfen—the Black Rose, to be exact.

"Panther lends his assistance to all creatures in need," Panther said proudly, speaking in 3rd person as always and doing a victorious barrel roll. Before Yoshi had a chance to give thanks, the cat and his ship had veered away, back into the battle with the Aparoids.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)**

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia


	37. Chapter 15:2: The Spawning Plain

**Chapter 15: The Other Laboratory**

**{2} The Spawning Plain**

The base was nigh at hand as the surge persisted; one could see the wide, perfectly flat field occupied with the dozens of purple jelly-like pods. Every few seconds a newly born Wire Frame would step out of each the pods even now, during the battle of a lifetime. It sickened Gadd to witness the continual spawning of Master Hand's ever-growing forces. He was even more angered, however, when they were close enough to see the small hovering machines with eyedropper-like protrusions nourishing the pods consistently with a fuming green potion. _Reeka_, the professor thought.

At the end of this plain, even more impressing, was the great and spacious laboratory which Gadd knew they would find here. It was constructed of a shiny black metal almost like obsidian, but no doubt extremely hard and solid, and at least as impenetrable as his own lab. Huge dark circular windows high on the structure seemed to look out across the Battlefields like many sinister, evil eyes. Massive billowing plumes of gray smoke swirled out of intimidating towers along the roof of the imposing building as if they were the remains of whatever innocent beauty had ever been taken inside those foreboding double doors placed like steel guards in the front.

But what was the most disconcerting about this entire view to the leader of the Alliance was not the field, nor even the laboratory. It was the fact that behind the lab, there was nothing save an ever-stretching purple plain, continuing endlessly into the distance. There was no sign of a shoreline, no figures upon this seemingly infinite stretch of land, and, most importantly, no suggestion of a giant room at all. Master Hand's room could not be seen, although when Gadd thought about it, he had to admit to himself that he hadn't known what to expect the outside of the room to look like; he had imagined towering walls stretching halfway to the sky in a gigantic square, and a giant door for the entrance like most other rooms had. But then again, Master Hand's was not like most other rooms. There was nothing the professor could do at the moment other than hope Mario and the others would find a way inside the room. Which was when E. Gadd realized a serious mistake he had overlooked.

The tunnel leading from Fourside City to Master Hand's room was only a small fraction of the actual distance between the two locations; that was just the way it was. Why, then, hadn't he considered using this alternate route as a shortcut to the fortress? But Gadd answered his own question. He knew of a surety that Master Hand would either have barred the other end of the tunnel from intruders, or guarded it heavily so as to prevent such a close breach. He was just worried if it would be possible to force entrance to the room at this point from the Battlefields with no foreseeable door or means of entering.

But now back to the task at hand. Another downward slope and, of course, masses of Wire Frames occupying the space separated the assaulters from their destination. With the sight of the end of their journey, the Alliance plowed forward with renewed courage and enthusiasm, ready to end their part in this war as swiftly as possible. Almost all made up of animals, these were determined creatures letting loose their untamed instincts to run, and for some, these instincts included a desire to destroy all in their paths.

Interestingly, the first one to reach and obliterate one of the Wire Frame Pods was King K. Rool. As the king charged forth bellowing in his reptilian fury, at least a dozen of his Kremlings set up one of the giant orange-like minions on the ground not far in front of him. The crocodile, with another manic yell, leapt forward onto the round beast and with a push, bounced forward off of the resilient orange belly and launched himself onward high into the air over the rest of the Alliance and Wire Frames below him. The heavy king rolled forward in the air and crashed, as he had aimed, upon the foremost of the pods, belly-first. This body slam resonated through the ground in each direction, and the pod burst like a water bed, spilling purple goo across the similarly-colored surface around it.

This first aggressive blow urged the rest more speedily forward, and soon K. Rool was eagerly joined by the other creatures in the assault of the spawning plain. The mindless hovering robots tried to continue their work, but were destroyed primarily by Yoshi eggs. The newly born Wire Frames did not have time nor experience to react before they were mown down with the rest. The assault gradually spread across the plain, steadily eliminating the enemy's sources of regeneration.

E. Gadd's hovercraft, however, did not join in this work, for they had a further goal to first pursue. The craft sped towards the lab itself, the professor not feeling prepared to ever face his cousin again, even though he knew it must be done. Unhindered, the hovercraft landed near the steel double doors at the front of the building.

The professor climbed out, and Humba, Mumbo, and Banjo & Kazooie made to follow him, but Gadd cut their movement off with a raised hand.

"No. Banjo, you have been one of my most loyal followers. Mumbo and Humba, you have been a great asset to the Alliance. But I must do this alone. My nemesis will not accept any other opponents besides me and will kill them immediately without considering fair play in the least. If I do not succeed, then you must—"

Then a loud, screeching, grating sound came from the roof of the black laboratory, and the flapping of enormous wings could be heard. The shadow of a great winged shape began to cover over them. The professor wasted no more time with words, and used the high-intensity laser cutter on his watch to slice through the steel doors. Within a few seconds, a considerable gap had been made, and Gadd, with a nod, disappeared into the ominous structure, wondering what end awaited him.

Banjo & Kazooie had only a moment to contemplate their brave leader's act before the giant flying thing took flight, evidently towards the assaulters. From above, it breathed in a wheezy, harsh way which seemed extremely familiar to them, but a name or image could not be immediately found within their racing minds. Banjo & Kazooie, deciding to leave the hovercraft for E. Gadd's use when he returned (_not _if_, _they thought adamantly), took flight themselves via the breegull's red wings, intent on warning the rest of the assaulters of the incoming terror, and possibly facing it.

"Bear and bird can handle big heap beast," Humba reasoned as the two shamans watched them take flight. But then they turned around and looked up at the huge building. "But as for him…"

"…We follow orders," Mumbo finished sternly.

"But there be great evil in black machine house!" the Indian woman said worriedly.

"There also be more than one way to follow orders," the skull-headed magician replied cunningly.

Back at the opposite end of the spawning plain, the assaulters continued to rush determinedly across the base, eliminating each of the domes and any Wire Frames which happened to be there. By now, well over half of the plain had been overrun, and they were not too far away from the huge black laboratory when Banjo & Kazooie came flying frantically into view, the great dark shadow advancing through the skies far behind them.

"Watch out!" Kazooie cried out as loud and far as the poultry's voice could carry. "Look to the skies!"

From their current perspective, this great thing slowly drawing nearer aloft, it appeared by shape to be a sort of extremely fat dragon with a large head not unlike that of a Yoshi, giant wings, although these, fluttering rapidly and thin and rounded, were more similar to the wings of a dragonfly. Its large belly protruded from beneath, causing one to wonder how such a massive creature could be kept in the air with such weak wings. But finally, when it drew close enough, everyone could see the finer details of their opponent, and this question was answered in the strangest of ways.

The flying thing was not _mass_ive at all; in fact, it probably had less mass than King K. Rool despite the fact that it was twenty times his size. Indeed, this being was so light that it was no wonder the dragonfly wings, which in fact they were, were able to bear it in the air. For there could be no mistake: the bulk of this enemy was none other than Mr. Patch, one of Banjo's old adversaries capable of inflating himself to enormous sizes, as was demonstrated in this instance. The Yoshi-like head was green with several square white teeth sticking out the top, covered in several colored patches (hence the name), and consisted of two nose slits and two large, untameable eyes. Mr. Patch's voluminous body was also covered with checkered, colored, and otherwise designed patches, and the areas which were still green had a certain rubbery sheen. However, in addition to the dragonfly wings, Mr. Patch had somehow picked up instead of arms and legs dark red claws and feet with sharp, lethal tips, and the spine along his back was the same red color.

Banjo & Kazooie halted mid-flight, gaping in bewilderment and horror at the bizarre reincarnation of one of their former enemies. Mr. Patch had always been strange and wobbly in his prime, but neither could imagine, for a while, how he had managed to become this…_thing_.

Below, Donkey Kong and his companions recognized the source of Mr. Patch's obscure features: from the days of old when DK Isle had been threatened with destruction, the monkeys distinctly recalled a particular giant Dragonfly which had caused them much grief, and also had the same dark red color. And both they and Banjo finally understood what was going on here. Just like the Shadow Hand, just like Piranha Gohma, here was yet another corrupt, hideous biological combination of two completely different beings, courtesy of this insane evil scientist E. Gadd had talked about—Professor U. Reeka.

Mr. Patch gave a long, wheezy laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! We meet again, bear and bird! Yes, you temporarily punctured my body and disallowed me from striding the earth, but luckily, an ingenious professor found my rubber remains inside the circus tent, and after a series of patching and experimenting, finally merged me with a ferocious Dragonfly into this new, invincible me! Prepare to meet the wrath of Mr. Dragon Patch!"

"Uh-oh," Banjo said. "It looks like we're going to have to fight you again."

"_Mr. Dragon Patch?_ You've GOT to be KIDDING me!" Kazooie twittered in annoyance, rolling her eyes and suppressing ecstatic laughter.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)** Mr. Dragon Patch

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia


	38. Chapter 15:3: The Mad Genius

**Chapter 15: The Other Laboratory**

**{3} The Mad Genius**

The thick steel door creaked ominously as the 4-foot professor proceeded with extreme caution into the black laboratory. Gadd felt extremely anxious, even fearful, about simply waltzing into the domain of his nemesis without invitation, or, more importantly, any idea of what could await him inside. And the great room of the interior of Reeka's base appeared just as the old man had imagined it.

The ceiling of this large enclosure was nigh six stories high, and its area extended hundreds of feet both lengthwise and widthwise (the length being approximately two-thirds longer). There were doors located around the walls of the extensive room leading, no doubt, to other research and experimental districts. In the very center of the establishment was a towering column of glass, a couple feet in diameter, which extended from the black floor all the way up to the distant ceiling above. There, the tube branched off into several polished pipelines which zigzagged, turned, looped, and branched off along the vast black walls. Inside this vertical glass tube was the same sickly, fuming green mixture which had been distributed by the small hovering mechanized workers to the previously-existing Spawning Domes outside. The liquid filled the column about one-third of the way up, its contained fumes rising to the top. Horizontal rings of fluorescent light of alternating red and purple color encompassed the lab by running along the perimeter and curving over pipelines. There was another rod of light wending its way around the interior for every couple yards of height, providing plenty of visibility, but creating the effect of a twisted, alien presence at work. And even with this lighting, there were plenty of shadows and dark spaces and corners which seemed very uninviting. A winding metal staircase rose like a corkscrew to the higher levels of the lab, which were accessible via railed metal walkways going along the perimeter parallel to the lights. The vicinity around the central column of glass had a wide ground which sloped up and around the column and back down to complete the cycle; this ground was covered in a metal plating which reflected the uncomfortable red and purple light radiated from the walls. Just from this room, the whirring and beeping of the control panel at the base of the column could be heard, but many other noises, including the rushing of liquid, buzzing, the sound of mechanized movement, drilling, and spinning, and even a bubbling, gurgling noise.

Everything Professor E. Gadd saw, heard, and felt at this point made him feel so very unwelcome (even though he _was_ technically invading it), and intimidated him inexpressibly; he felt as if all his work back at his lab, all his experiments, inventions, and ideas, were utter foolishness and uselessness in comparison to the impressiveness of his cousin's work. The only thing keeping him from turning back and fleeing was his determination to do his part as leader of the Nintendo Alliance, and as most likely the only one who stood a chance in _dis_establishing this infernal hole of abominations. Remembering Piranha Gohma, he didn't want to even begin to consider what else he might find here. Gadd drew up all the courage he could muster, virtually defenseless save his ingenious mind, and began walking slowly forward.

The professor's black shoes clanged on the metal surface, in reality not significant in comparison to the dozens of technological sounds, but to Gadd it seemed to overpower all other noise, resounding through the whole lab to alert the one in charge. But there was no response; on further inspection, Gadd saw that there were two doors on each of the walls to his left and right, both walls about a hundred feet away. He looked up again at the rows of lights and railed walkways, but saw no moving figures. Then, seeing the complicated control panel at the base of the vertical tube covered with flashing buttons, switches, levers, touch screens, and keypads, the scientist began to approach it. This array of input devices reminded him of the control panel Reeka had used on his life-sized model of Death Mountain, the one which he, E. Gadd, had been slammed into and caused the volcanic mountain to erupt, destroying everything he had ever loved…

"Yes, familiar, isn't it?" the similar but slightly higher-pitched voice fringed with a touch of insanity said observantly.

Professor E. Gadd turned around to see that which he'd hoped never to see again: the ashy brown tuft of hair, the small pointy teeth, the dark grey lab coat, and, most of all, the diamond-shaped glasses covering the ingenious derangement of Professor U. Reeka's eyes. His cousin was now between him and the exit; there was no going back now.

U. Reeka gave a sharp-toothed smile. "In fact, Elvin, this actually _is_ the same control panel; after the force of your body caused it to malfunction and everyone went into a panic, I salvaged the broken remains, modified it, and designed it for a new purpose." This feign of friendliness did nothing to Gadd's sense of imminent hostility. Reeka's glasses glinted. "And you know what that purpose is, don't you, cousin?"

The non-maniacal professor decided it may as well be worth making conversation with his evil nemesis: perhaps he could catch him off guard. "How did you survive? Your body was said to have been found dead outside your lab in the Icicle Mountains."

"Really, Elvin? I think you could answer that question yourself. But if you want confirmation, I'll be glad to oblige. My lab on Mountain # 32 was located there for two purposes. First, to get as far away from you as possible, where you wouldn't think to search for me. Not that I thought you would search at all; no, I always knew you would be too afraid to seek revenge on me, but I have always remembered how your foolish antics destroyed my reputation as the most brilliant scientist in the Nintendo World forever. So I knew I would have to be the one to strike back. Anyways, the second reason for building a base in the Icicle Mountains was that it gave me an environment where I could study and experiment several fascinating subjects at once: the wild creatures, the manipulation of the elements, and the astrology of the stars. I was successful, for the first time, in combining the DNA of a Polar Bear and a Topi into one creature: a prototype I called a Topi Bear. I decided to let my creation roam free to see how it reacted to the natural environment, and have discovered that fused beings are completely independent, not feeling any relation or connection to other beings of one of the species from which they were made. Local hikers and skiers, amusingly enough, refer to it as the Abominable Snowman. I also learned enough from the stars about the Seven Star Spirits and the Star Rod to become aware of their power, only available through the granting of sincere wishes. I have shared my concerns with my Master about the Spirits, and, as evidently demonstrated in the Battle of Fourside, they had potency and, until then, were a considerable threat. But now that their Star Rod has been drained of power for an indeterminable amount of time, there is nothing left to fear from them. The only subject, it seemed, in which I did not have much success was in manipulation of the weather.

"You see, I knew that if I could gain control of the elements, I would have supreme power over the entire planet, able to completely annihilate an entire island at my faintest whim. But I was unable to successfully identify the formula for the cold fusion which I needed in order to build a machine which could do so. I don't suppose you have made any vain attempts at controlling the natural forces of temperature and atmospheric change, Elvin?"

Gadd, despite himself and his caution, could not help but be interested in the wondrous sciences which his dastardly cousin had been studying. "Actually, Reeka, yes I have. By condensing and energizing the atoms of any material object and then propelling the pressurized matter into open air, I can send any item or person by atomic heating through the air as a tiny particle to any destination. I call it the Eleportationizer 1000."

Reeka gave a short, delirious laugh. "You _would_ do that! Using atomic heating or whichever other science to benefit mankind…that's always been your aim, hasn't it? To make everyone happy and so dependent on technology that they don't have to hardly lift a finger! You haven't changed much, Elvin, I'm sorry to say."

"And _I'm_ sorry to say," E. Gadd said with emphasis, "that neither have you. But still, you leave my inquiry unanswered. How did you survive when the authorities found your deceased corpse and buried it in a cemetery a week later?"

Professor U. Reeka kept up his demented grin. "You know how I am with biology. I love to explore every possibility, every path, every probability, and every result. And in that mountain laboratory, which was plasma-heated, by the way, I finally managed to accomplish something I had been striving to do for quite some time: I created a clone of myself.

"And knowing that the authorities or someone or other was bound to eventually come upon my lab, I decided to use my clone as false evidence of my supposed death. I suffocated it inside its life tank, and then took it out and left it in the snow, just out of sight of the lab. Sure enough, someone found it, and the great Professor U. Reeka was forgotten for a time.

"But still, I was forced to flee the Icicle Mountains, for the authorities would search the entire area when finding someone of my reputation, and I knew they would not hesitate to break into my lab. Using one of my many effective methods of transportation, I exiled myself once again, but this time headed into the Battlefields, and then to Master Hand's front door. He received me well, knowing the invaluable support I could provide for the fulfillment of his magnificent ideas. So he and I made a pact: that I would devote myself and my talents to his service, and he in return would guarantee my protection and supremacy over my enemies. Now that pact is about to be completed. And here I am before you today, Elvin: more powerful, better funded, and soon to be a greater scientist than you ever were, or ever will be."

"I find myself having an extremely hard time believing that your story is the truth in its entirety, Reeka," Professor E. Gadd said, not sure how much longer his cousin would be willing to chatter. "For one thing, how did you acquire the specimens, as you would call them, for these abusive experiments of yours? The Shadow Hand, Piranha Gohma, and whatever is terrorizing my armies as we speak…surely you could not have personally traveled to all of these places and captured each creature, especially the essence of the Shadow Queen. And another thing, I know you well enough to be able to rightfully assume that you would not go through all this work and effort just to come out as a powerful underling; what do you really have planned?"

"Always as inquisitive and curious as ever, cousin." Reeka gave another chuckle of delirium. "Master Hand, of course, was very early on willing to listen to my requests for my experiments, and as the Supreme Being over this world, had very reasonable means of procuring my specimens. Not the least of these methods was the simple act of conquering the specimen's homeland, and then allowing me direct access to it. The Shadow Queen's essence was tough, I will admit, but I eventually attained my goal by swiping a few samples of matter off of one of her only descendents, bottled it, and rushed it back to the lab. That was the only case in which I actually had to make the journey in order to get what I desired, but it was well worth it; Shadow Hand served us well over the course of its short life." The grey-cloaked professor then spoke in a quieter, discreet voice that was full of corruption and malevolence. "And as for only being a servant, it is true that Master Hand is mightier than even I, and by simple mortal means I would never myself be able to overpower him. But let's just say that after he has claimed dominion over this world, his trust in me will compel him to gradually allow me to reign beneath him, and as soon as he has entrusted me with enough power to turn against him, he will find himself trying to combat his own power, and by it will be replaced by a more suited Emperor of the Nintendo World—me." The insanity of Gadd's nemesis truly manifested itself now as Reeka let out a loud, long, high-pitched cackle of evil triumph which echoed throughout the laboratory for what seemed like an eternity.

_He really is mad_, Gadd thought. _But the problem is, he is both mad _and _a genius…_

The good professor composed himself the best he could and cleared his throat. "Well, Reeka, I come to you with two options: the permanent desisting of your perverse practices and making of destructive weapons as well as your unconditional surrender, or complete and utter destruction. Either way, the evil you are involved in will end here and now; it's up to you whether you will end with it. I have known you my entire life, and am aware that you are a scientist of exceedingly great knowledge and talent equal to my own, but the manner in which you use your gifts is unacceptably contrary to the preserving of the peace, prosperity, justice, and freedom which is the right of every resident of the Nintendo World. Turn away from your wicked ways now or I will be forced to bring an end to my own cousin along with the tyranny of Master Hand."

U. Reeka chuckled evilly yet again. "Now we get down to it, the meat and potatoes of our pleasant discussion. But I'm afraid, Elvin, it will not be Master Hand who will be falling, and it will not be me who will be faced with complete and utter destruction. The time has come, my good cousin, for me to showcase the fruits of my sedulity over the past six years. You will come to know of the overwhelming advantage of inventing for power, and at last, _I will be able to exact my revenge on the relative who murdered my father and diminished my potency in the eyes of the world. PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MATCH, ELVIN!_"

"NOW!" Professor E. Gadd yelled into the hidden radio communicator on his ear as he dived away from his cousin. Reeka had suddenly pointed his right fist at Gadd and pressed a button on his watch which shot forth a jet of deadly blue electricity at the spot where his rival had just been. Instead, the jet reverberated off the ground and bounced up into the side of the glass pillar, shattering it into millions of pieces. The fuming green liquid poured out of the tube, spilling onto the floor and the control panel, which surged with unbalance and blew its internal fuse, sending a thick stream of smoke up towards the high ceiling. A loud siren went off in response, and a bright red warning light flared in and out.

And burning through the steel front door which Reeka had been blocking with lasers from their eyes were dozens of Combat R.O.B.'s at Gadd's command, prepared to incapacitate any enemy. With the sense of chaos ensuing, Reeka looked behind him and was enraged by the robotic intruders. "You won't win that easily, Elvin!" He screamed as he activated a hidden jetpack on his back and escaped into the wide air.

E. Gadd saw his cousin's actions, and yelled another command to his R.O.B.'s, pointing at the rising form of U. Reeka. "Attack!" Red lasers shot up at the flying figure, but were unable to hit it.

Reeka turned around and released another rapid jet of blue electricity. The jet came into contact with the foremost R.O.B. and immediately blew its fuse, shutting it down. But the electricity wasn't finished; it chain reacted, leaping from one robot to the next and terminating each one until the room was filled with smoking R.O.B.'s, their eye sockets which were usually filled with yellow life-like light now burnt out, smoking, and shut in defeat.

Reeka's laugh of insanity faded as the mad scientist fled, ascending the interior of the great building. Gadd pressed a complicated combination of buttons on his watch, and in less than a second, the prototype of his new Poltergust 5000 had zoomed in the lab and parked in front of him. It looked much the same as the 4000, but had several improvements and new features, including the ability to travel vertically as well as horizontally…

Gadd climbed on his machine and took off up the vast chamber after his cousin.

_This is it_, he thought.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)** Mr. Dragon Patch, Professor U. Reeka

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia


	39. Chapter 15:4: Beach Ball Battle

**Chapter 15: The Other Laboratory**

**{4} Beach Ball Battle**

"Well, maybe it's not the most creative or fitting of names," Banjo told Kazooie as they flew towards the huge inflated mutant. "But we have to face this seriously all the same, Kazooie." As they were coming from behind, Mr. Dragon Patch could not see them at the moment, but was aware of what they were trying to do, and was slowly turning around with its large claws and dragonfly wings.

Below, most of the assaulters, seeing Banjo & Kazooie in the air, decidedly continued their raid and left the boss fight to the Intense-difficulty graduates. Donkey Kong, Tiny, Lanky, and Funky Kong alone had stopped to take out their weaponry and aim it at the giant evil balloon, waiting for it to draw low and close enough for its many vulnerable patches to be within range. But for now, it was up to bear and bird.

"Here we go!" Banjo yelled over the noise of the wind whipping around them. "You know what to do! You see that patch right on the..."

Kazooie, however, wasted no more time with talk, brought her beak back, and rushed the pair forward expeditiously into a large red patch in the rubbery buttocks of Dragon Patch beak-first, which happened to be directly below a long, spiked, dark red dragon tail: it had become part of the demented inflatable.

Mr. Dragon Patch bellowed loudly in pain, and thrashed about as Kazooie's beak punctured the patch, causing some of his air to deplete from his densely packed gaseous insides. The force of the rushing air pushed Banjo & Kazooie backwards into Patch's wildly swinging tail, and sent them careening sideways, rolling over and over, until they finally stabilized themselves. By then, Mr. Patch had completely turned around to face them, actual flames flaring from his nostrils in fury.

"Kazooie, be more careful next time! Don't be so rash!" Banjo cried to his companion after shaking his head back and forth to remove the dizzy feeling.

"Hey clown face!" Kazooie shouted challengingly, completely disregarding Banjo's warnings. "Did that feel good? No? Well, what are you, a fat, torn up, sorry-excuse-for-a-mutated-dragon-freak gonna do about it? Cough up beach balls at us like last time? Oooh, I'm so scared—"

Banjo reached up with one paw and clamped it around Kazooie's beak. "Keep your foul beak shut, Kazooie, or we'll make him _really_ angry…"

"Hmmm…" Kazooie said mockingly while pretending to consider the intensity of Mr. Patch's building rage. "I'm pretty sure we ticked him off already by stabbing him in the butt, so I think we can safely assume that he's not in a mood to negotiate."

"Darn right I'm not!" Mr. Dragon Patch bellowed in his resounding, throaty, balloon-like voice. "Let's see how well your filthy beak can stab…_these!_" And sure enough, the inflated dragon wheezed several times and coughed out, as Kazooie had so clearly predicted, beach balls. But the reason why these particular balls would not be easy to stab was because, associating it out of assumption with Patch's dragon qualities, these beach balls were on _fire_. And yet they didn't pop, hurling meteorically at their target like aimed comets and spinning around, flames blazing all about them and in trails behind them. What was more, they didn't just continue on a worthless path after passing their target, but rather looped around like missiles and came back for a second attempt.

The airborne duo dodged the first several flaming beach balls, but realized this fact as the beach balls came back for them from behind.

"Kazooie!" Banjo shouted. "Think! What counteracts fire?"

"Well, duh! That's obvious!" Kazooie spat out first these words, and then to follow her special Ice Eggs. Each one, upon contact with a fiery ball, froze the target solid in midair, quenching the flames and all movement including gravity. Then Banjo, while they were flying towards the frozen spheres, quickly took off his backpack with Kazooie in it and swung it at the beach balls, shattering them. The swinging helped to keep the bear in the air.

"Ow! What the heck do you think you're doing?" Kazooie shrieked as Banjo put the backpack back on so they could continue flying. "You're only supposed to do that when we're separated, you bonehead!"

"Oops, sorry," Banjo apologized, not looking very sorry with his cheeky grin. "I forgot."

Turning back to Mr. Dragon Patch, it looked as if the inflated beast was moving steadily towards them on his dragonfly wings, preparing for another attack.

"Hold on!" Kazooie yelled, as if Banjo could have let go. The breegull then dived forward towards Mr. Patch while firing at least a dozen grenade eggs aimed in the direction of the remaining patches. The green projectiles zoomed towards their targets as bear and bird swept slightly downward to gain speed and then came up again on the other side to reach the other vulnerabilities.

Mr. Patch croaked in pain as several more holes were punctured in his rubber skin, and he shrunk to about three fifths his original size.

"That's it!" Dragon Patch bellowed. "No more messing around! Let's see how well this professor's upgrades work…" The boss clenched his clawed fists together, and began glowing and shimmering with a red, fiery coating. "Ha! Now not only can you not stab me, but any grenade or explosive object getting within twenty feet of me will instantly detonate uselessly because of the heat radiation these dragonfly abilities render me! Ha ha ha!"

Mr. Patch began advancing towards them again, coughing up more flaming beach balls at an even faster rate. Just to make sure, Kazooie fired one last grenade egg, but as their adversary had so described, it detonated well before reaching its intended target. The heat from both the beach balls and Mr. Dragon Patch himself were beginning to make Banjo & Kazooie sweat.

"What do we do now?" Banjo cried in panic.

In answer, they heard a call from a distance away down below. "Over here!" came the voices of the remaining four Kongs (Dixie and Kiddy Kong, without projectile weapons, were fighting elsewhere). Donkey Kong, Tiny, Lanky, and Funky were waving as they brandished their unique weapons. "Bring it closer!"

With no other possible strategy in mind, Banjo & Kazooie fled obligingly towards the aiming monkeys—that is, they were fleeing both from the flaming beach balls and the mutated dragon freak (using Kazooie's wording) following close behind them in unhindered fury and thirst for vengeance.

But as soon as they reached the area directly above the Kongs, four burning beach balls closed in from each side and collided into their target at once. Banjo & Kazooie yelled as they were sent hurtling to the ground; the bird was unable to even slow the fall because both of them had caught on fire. Fortunately, a cluster of multi-colored Yoshis watching the scene had gathered together to break their fall, so they landed uninjured. The Yoshis immediately backed away because of the flames burning the tips of Kazooie's feathers and singing Banjo's fur. To their rescue came Ellie the Elephant, who dumped a plethora of water over them from her trunk (the water itself coming from who-knew-where), quenching the fire and soaking the two exhausted adventurers.

Meanwhile, at Donkey Kong's command, all four Kongs simultaneously fired their weapons at Mr. Dragon Patch, who was by now a good deal closer. The ambush was a success: with a combination of DK's coconuts, Tiny's red feathers, Lanky's incredibly painful grapes, and Funky's oranges, the dragonfly/strange wobbly inflatable object (as he was introduced in the past) was faced with a final barrage of attacks. Coconuts burst through patches despite the flaring red coating of energy, feathers stuck themselves into the rubber creating additional punctures, and grapes acted like purple flavored cannonballs as they hit other vulnerable areas. The oranges, unfortunately, as explosive objects, did not get the same opportunity, and instead burst into orange juice and splattered to the surface.

Now there was only the one patch left: on the left bridge of Mr. Patch's snout-like nose. Funky, frustrated with the failure of his assistance, drew out his famous Boot Bazooka and pressed the trigger with remarkable accuracy. The brown shoe sped straight at the wailing head.

"NOOOOOOOO! This show was supposed to be mine!" were the mutant's last words before the boot smacked Dragon Patch's head, not merely breaking through the patch, but decapitating the green dragon-like head entirely. The remaining body, half-Patch, half-dragonfly, ceased the red flaring effect, and the rest of the air poured out through the opening where the neck used to connect. The remains sped through the air, propelled by the escaping air, and finally collapsed right in front of them; the Yoshis had had to run away to avoid being covered by it.

The Kongs hollered and screeched in triumph, beating their chests and clapping their hands and feet while hand-standing. Banjo sat up, parts of his previously-brown fur now singed black, his entire coat matted down with water. He looked over to see Kazooie's wet limp body beside him, and lifted her onto his lap.

"Kazooie, are you alright?" Banjo asked worriedly.

In response, the drenched bird coughed out water, and spat grumpily, "This will take _forever_ to dry!"

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**Villains: (known)** Professor U. Reeka

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia


	40. Chapter 15:5: Gadd vs Reeka

**Chapter 15: The Other Laboratory**

**{5} Gadd vs. Reeka**

Reeka blasted higher and higher with his jetpack, the flames blazing from the device leaving a trail of black smoke. He reached the highest story and then, cackling, veered into a narrow octagonal opening which glowed with a modern blue radiance. Several seconds later, Gadd gave chase by following his rival into the opening on the Poltergust 5000. He had to persevere now, or else risk allowing his dangerous cousin to escape. But he had no idea where Reeka was leading him, and with the speed of this pursuit, he would have to be extremely careful.

The narrow tunnel gave the Poltergust a couple yards of leeway in each direction, but one wrong turn or jerk and it would all be over. The professor navigated quickly but cautiously through the passageway lit by more rings of fluorescent light, colored blue. Multicolored patches of red, green, and yellow flashed in and out, beeping faintly against the continuously sounding warning siren. Along the top and sides were also mechanical pulleys and magnetic conveyer belts moving in the same direction as him, bearing metal boxes and other obscurer shapes. As the tunnel curved up, down, left, and right, Reeka was usually not even in sight, although along straighter sections Gadd caught a brief glimpse of him before he turned another corner.

Finally, the passage sloped steeply downwards and then became a straight plummet. E. Gadd had to duck suddenly lower when a U-turning pulley above him bore a suspended mass of tangled metal pipes and wires around the bend at the same time the professor was curving down into the drop. The strange moving object brushed the gray tuft of hair on his head as he continued down, stabling out.

As he looked down, he saw the two jets of fire indicating U. Reeka's jetpack flaring further down the tunnel. Desiring to stop his nemesis' rampage as soon as possible, he fervently pressed a trigger on the right handle of his prototype, firing two beams of green lasers in the direction of his enemy. Unfortunately, at that moment, Reeka leveled out, swerving in a direction perpendicular to his current orientation, disappearing around the corner and proceeding forward. The green lasers burned uselessly into the curving floor below, leaving black scorch marks.

The Poltergust rumbled as at last it reached bottom, which (as has been mentioned) curved steeply back to horizontality, but also appeared to open up to a much larger room, ending the blue-lit tunnel. The good-willed scientist maneuvered his vehicle in a right angle accordingly and entered the expansive chamber beyond.

Machines of all shapes, sizes, and functions made a huge amount of noise, even above that of the alarm. This was evidently the primary factory facility of the base, for all sorts of conveyor belts with assembly machines putting together all sorts of contraptions sloped up, down, and across the room. The ceiling was at least as high as the previous area. Along the vast walls were the dark circular windows which could be seen from the exterior. Finished products were grouped together in corners: several of the flying robotic cages from Chapter 4, the small hovering robots used to feed the spawning pods, and many, many other complicated machines which Gadd had never seen the like of before. All the black smoke went into a vent in the ceiling where it was discharged out of the spires on the roof of the black building. However, the fumes from all the gaseous smoke coming out of the huge assembly machines still made the air taste and smell horrid; in fact, one would likely faint from the toxicity if he were to remained in the factory for much more than an hour.

The professor saw his nemesis zoom across an active assembly line and curve upwards once more. Gadd followed carefully, barely able to see Reeka through the smoky air. He fired three more green laser beams as they ascended; two missed and ricocheted around the room until causing a machine to explode, and the third finally hit its mark. The right side of the jetpack ceased to function and simply smoked while the other side continued to run. The two relatives leveled out, but were now at least a hundred feet above the ground far below. Only the tallest and greatest of the producing machines rose all the way up to where they were or higher.

"Argh!" Professor U. Reeka seethed as his flight pattern was knocked out of proportion. He began to lurch this way and that, jerking suddenly and rapidly like a jinxed flying broomstick. E. Gadd had to try hard to follow and avoid colliding with him. As his jetpack sped up spasmodically, the evil scientist turned back to his cousin and fired several more jets of blue lightning from his watch.

Gadd cried out in shock and pain as the jets both electrocuted him fiercely and struck the Poltergust, causing it to explode. The force sent him flying sideways into the metal side of one of the largest machines, and his desperate fingers barely clung on to the top edge while currents of blue electricity still seared with agony through his body. Fortunately, the rays of lightning were not lethal because they had not had enough time to fully charge since their last use. But the professor's fingers were beginning to slip because of weakness and the moisture of the air lessening the adhesiveness of his hands on the metal edge. Below, not only was there a one hundred foot drop, but an enormous cauldron-like container filled with a sickly, bubbling green liquid which was sure to be boiling hot.

Gadd built up a combination of strong will and determination, and pulled himself up as hard as he could while Reeka continued to flail uncontrollably in the air. He strenuously lifted himself onto the metal surface above. The only problem was, it was moving, for he was now on a narrow assembly line with a conveyor belt for a path. He looked up and rolled out of the way just in time before a giant steaming square stamped onto the spot where he had just been. The pull of the belt as he shakily stood up drew him back towards the now-rising stamping machine, so instead of running away from it, he dashed forward and ducked below it before it stamped again, looking at the rest of the assembly line in front of him. There were mechanical arms handling glowing, almost molten metal and pounding each piece into certain shapes. And at the end of the belt, the pieces dropped into what looked suspiciously like a furnace…

The professor looked down the side of the sheer metal wall to see Reeka still struggling for control over his malfunctioning jetpack, flying in jittering circles almost directly below. Gadd looked back at the mechanical arms and the furnace, and determined there was only one means of escape with even the slightest chance of survival—even if that chance was miniscule. After a brief hesitation, Gadd leaped off the conveyer belt, aiming with his body for the form of his enemy. He was successful, and even though both were sent tumbling down the shaft-like gap between machines, Professor U. Reeka had broken the fall, giving Gadd something to help lessen the force of the landing. Still, there was yet another issue: they were heading straight towards the cauldron of boiling green liquid, and the edges were several yards away on each side. But with the remains of the jetpack's energy, Reeka caused them to accelerate just far enough to avoid dropping into the liquid, and instead they conveniently fell into a hole leading into a sloped tunnel which continued forward and slightly downward. They slid smoothly into the circular tunnel, reducing the consequences of the fall to almost nothing.

After a matter of seconds of sliding down the smooth metal chute, Reeka in front, they popped out in what appeared to be an underground division. And judging by the content of this area, it was where U. Reeka practiced his most secret, dangerous, and horrible experiments.

What Gadd first noticed were the tall glass containers in which bubbled liquids ranging from green to red to blue. And also within these large tubes were submerged figures; some were curled up or shadowy and impossible to identify, while others could actually be recognized. For instance, the professor could not mistake the floating Goomba, Waddle Dee, Wolfos, Starman (the Earthbound one, not the bouncing golden star with eyes), Banana Fairy, Metroid, Aparoid, and Magnemite inside each of the domed tubes. There was even a muscular-looking man from the F-Zero Grand Prix with round black glasses and a yellow vest, and in the last tube was another man with a shock of blue hair, a headband, a cape, boots, and gloves. This, Gadd thought, reminded him in many ways for some reason of Marth. Each figure floated up and down inside one of the domes, which were arranged in rows and columns throughout the small cavern. This underground lair had rock walls, floor, and ceiling, with small stalactites pointing down from above. At the far end was a large flat metal table on which there were various straps used to attach things (most likely limbs), and connected to it by several thick wires was a large rectangular machine positioned against the rock wall with dials, buttons, levers, switches, keypads, and a small screen in the middle. Beside this machine where the rest of the rock wall would have been was instead a glass wall behind which was a small enclosed area completely barren of any sort of object. It was similar to the room from Donkey Kong 64 in which King K. Rool used to listen to his minions babble about why they had failed to defeat the Kongs. On the left wall was a single heavily bolted door from which strange sounds could be heard; Gadd did not like to think about what was behind it. Finally, near the right wall was something very familiar, but the familiarity did not lift the professor's spirits much, for it was yet another of the fancy mechanisms used to transform things into trophies; and of course, near the machine itself was a stack of trophy stands and a chair with chains on it. It was very quiet except for a low humming sound coming from the machines and the frightening noises resounding from behind the steel door. The whole room was lit well by bright white lights from the ceiling, and the air was kept in circulation by fans and vents in the ceiling, but this did not take away from the intense fear E. Gadd felt as he entered the lair of his evil cousin's darkest designs.

Reeka immediately walked forward with his hands together behind his back. He gazed at each of the sleeping figures suspended in liquid. Then, when he reach the end of the rows of glass domes where the metal table was near the glass wall, he turned around and smiled wickedly at Gadd, showing off his disturbingly pointy teeth.

"This is where it all ends, Elvin," he said. "After all the effort you've gone through just to vanquish me, this is where you will finally come to realize it has all been in vain. For look around you!" Reeka gestured with his hands to his many corrupt inventions and experiments. "Even a mind such as yours does not understand the full wonder of what I have achieved, and will yet achieve. I have been able to mass-produce Master Hand's armies; I have created a machine to convert a living being into an immobilized state; and I have discovered the secret to combine and transmogrify two creatures into one new, superior slave. In the future, perhaps, we shall do away with these trophy machines and come up with a smaller, wieldable gun model instead. But for now, this is the epitome of technology; none of your fireworks or vacuums will ever amount to what I will accomplish!" Then his insane grin changed suddenly to a hateful grimace. "But you do not deserve any recognition. You should be obliterated into nothingness and cease to exist even as a faint memory. So I have now devised the perfect method in which to dispose of you forever in the most humiliating, ludicrous, and regrettable way possible. You probably didn't expect me to have…_this_…" With gusto, Professor U. Reeka dramatically drew out a Poltergust, handheld like Luigi's. "Yes, I have come into possession of one of your own useless trinkets; I won't even bother telling you how. Only this trinket, it so happens, I have modified to actually make it useful, so instead of simply sucking up pathetic ghosts or dust bunnies, this one does the reverse: it vacuums living beings—such as yourself. So prepare, Elvin, to be devoured by your own creation, mutated into a hideously unrecognizable monster, and then sent back into the Battlefields where you will be slain by your own followers…" The mad scientist now laughed so loudly and maliciously that he would almost match one of Bowser's roars, and prepared to turn the Poltergust on, watching his cousin's expression in lunatical amusement.

But to his utter surprise, Gadd only smiled back toothily. "You never did have the respect to use a professor's full title, _Ulysses_." Professor Ulysses Reeka twitched in anger at the use of his embarrassing first name. "And luckily for me," Elvin continued, "I happen to have another trick up my sleeve as well…no pun intended." And indeed, the professor reached into the right sleeve of his lab coat and pulled out a rod-like object which he held up like a wand. But at the end of the rod was a circle with a familiar insignia upon it and a brush colored with mixed hues and dripping a magical goopy substance. "I have also come into possession of something of yours, Ulysses. This magic brush…which you _gave_ to Bowser's son a couple years ago so he could terrorize the inhabitants of Delfino Island and attempt to execute revenge on Mario. You even spread the rumor that I made the brush myself, and that Bowser Jr. had stolen it from me, in order to hurt my reputation for inventing safe, useful products. Well, now, my bad cousin, it will be _you_ meeting _your_ end via your own dastardly devices. That is, unless you accept my final offer of unconditional surrender and swear to cease your experimenting which has caused—and is currently causing—so much death and pain. Despite your treachery, I do not wish to kill you, Ulysses…I will only do what I must to ensure the victory and protection of the free Nintendo World…"

"You _will_ try," Reeka jeered as he switched on the modified Poltergust. But instead of a moderately sized area of vacuuming, the machine reached across the entire room, pulling all the way to the other end, which included E. Gadd. However, since everything else on Gadd's side of the lair was bolted firmly to the ground, nothing else seemed to be affected by the pull except a small, worn picture frame which image the professor did not have time to see before being subjected to the force of the pull himself. So great was the pull that he was nearly lifted airborne as he was forced towards the nozzle of the vacuum. As he was forcibly pulled forward, Gadd grasped hold of the side of one of the glass containers and pushed himself behind it to where he would hopefully be safe from the blast. But the round glass precluded him from remaining still, for the air rushing past him caused him to begin slipping either one way or the other.

Finally, determining that he would have to go on the offensive, Gadd took Reeka's magic paintbrush and smacked it into the glass dome, shattering it and causing the shards to fly towards Reeka. And along the way, the shards cracked and split open other glass tubes as well and created a chain reaction, resulting in the breaking open of just about every glass container. And of course, this resulted in the pouring out of the various liquids in which the figures were submerged onto the ground, drenching Gadd's boots and the bottom of his coat. The figures themselves collapsed onto the bottom of the domes, where the remaining glass shielded them from being sucked up. The positive effect of this strategy was that the shards, while for the most part absorbing into the vacuum, now and then strayed off and struck the scientist behind it, necessitating him to duck for cover behind the metal table.

This also gave Gadd time to paint a colorful circular portal in front of him, jump hastily through it, and then appear behind the confused maniac. Reeka, unable to see Gadd's position because he was so close to the ground, continued to hold the Poltergust in position, awaiting his cousin's imminent defeat. He cackled as the old picture of Professor E. Gadd vanished into the vacuum. But when he was beginning to wonder where Elvin could be and how he could have remained hidden so long, he heard a monstrous earsplitting roar behind him. Slowly, Reeka turned around to face the source of the sound (while still holding the vacuum in the other direction).

A dripping, flowing pool of thick, goopy red liquid served as the home of the vicious Piranha Plant swaying above, made entirely of shimmering paint. It bellowed again in rage, Gadd standing grimly next to the puddle with the paintbrush still in hand.

"You have no place in this world, cousin," was the last thing Ulysses Reeka heard before he was engulfed by a goopy mouth and was no more.

The pile of goop, at Gadd's will, disintegrated into nothing along with the Piranha Plant and Professor U. Reeka. The exhausted professor wiped his forehead with tiredness, and looked at the nearby screen on the rectangular machine. He noticed several pictures of pairs of two creatures and double-sided arrows in between them. _The Shadow Queen and Floormaster…Petey Piranha and Gohma…Mr. Patch and Giant Dragonfly..._ There were more, but then a blaring female intercom voice could be heard even from belowground.

"SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED. COMMENCEMENT WILL BEGIN IN ONE MINUTE. 59…58…"

Gadd smiled faintly. _Well, done, R.O.B.'s_, he thought. _They have fulfilled what I programmed them to do…but this is no place for a sane scientist… _He looked at the previously unconscious figures from the glass domes which were beginning to wake up and rise in confusion. _Nor for any of these poor beings, either…_

Without delay, E. Gadd set to work painting an enormous portal across the glass wall until it was one great colorful shimmering rectangle. "Fellows!" the professor shouted to the freed specimens. "This place will soon explode. You must all help each other to escape through this portal, and then, if you have the strength, join with the Great Nintendo Army in defeating Master Hand's remaining forces. Can you do this? For I must leave."

Samurai Goroh and Lord Ike, the strongest of the bizarre group, looked at each other and nodded wearily but firmly. They began to assist others who were in worse condition than they (the Metroid and Aparoid, thankfully, were dead).

"Good! Farewell, then. You must have been through a terrible ordeal, but have patience and all will be satisfied." With that, Professor E. Gadd jumped through the paint and came out a good distance away from the black lab, from which R.O.B.'s were still fleeing. Now he had no living relatives remaining.

"3…2…1…" the mechanized voice spoke distantly before the entire base went up in a huge deafening explosion. However, it seemed that Gadd had underestimated the blast radius; the fiery self-destruction continued to consume ground beyond what he could have ever expected—but then again, this was still Reeka's work; he _should_ have expected his evil cousin to plan, in the event of his failure, the death of his conqueror at all costs. Now he and the R.O.B.'s would go down with the work of Professor Ulysses Reeka. He closed his eyes as death approached…until a close, echoing, somehow magical voice sounded…

"_Eeko Boko Eeko Boko Mo-me-ni-mu, Mo-me-ni-mu, Eeko Boko Eeko Boko Eeko Boko Eek-yo Ob…"_ Mumbo Jumbo's voice repeated this foreign phrase over and over again as he, with Humba Wumba beside him, faced the exploding base next to Gadd with his hands raised up in concentration (as well as Humba's). The two shamans had created a translucent wall of blue energy (not unlike the one in Chapter 14) which, when it came, held back the raging force and protected those beyond its boundaries. The wall encircled the blast, containing it within its defensive limits. Only a few R.O.B.'s were consumed before they crossed the magical barrier into safety. The explosion pounded against the strong walls for some time before finally subsiding.

"_Bu-gi-deh,"_ Mumbo finished with satisfaction as the blast died away and the shamans ceased to hold up their magical barrier. He and Humba came towards Gadd and the specimen escapees smiling triumphantly.

The professor could only smile back; there was no need for words of gratitude now. No way at the moment to fully express his thankfulness for the shamans' indispensable, lifesaving assistance. Now Gadd's thoughts, although disturbed by the unavoidable loss of his cousin, turned to the most important thing. He gazed at the ashen lab remains and then to the northeast where the rest of the Alliance continued to fight almost tirelessly. By this point the entire spawning fields had been overtaken, but the thousands of Wire Frames who they had passed by were coming back upon them. _Our part is complete,_ he thought grimly. _We can only hope Mario and the others have had equal success…_

**END OF CHAPTER...**

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes: **Kirby, Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka


	41. Chapter 16:1: The Air Rider Strikes Back

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{1} The Air Rider Strikes Back**

The battle for the Nintendo World had begun. To the north and south, the defenders and assaulters were about to begin their endeavors. But in the middle, arranged as previously mentioned in an arrow-point formation, the rest of the Alliance forces awaited the command of their leaders to commence the push westward towards Master Hand's Room, and then to his fortress where the fate of everything they knew would be decided. The same apprehension and mixed fear and determination present in the rest of the Alliance burnt strongest of all in these bravest of warriors. Forming the thick border of the triangle formation were the hundreds of cavalry from both Roy's homeland and Hyrule, ready to charge. Inside this border were the foot soldiers of the same places. From tip to bottom, the host stretched about an eighth of a mile, numbering several hundred. The Great Fox flew directly above the center of the formation, which Peppy controlled, and behind the craft over the bottom edge of the formation flew Fox, Falco, and Slippy in their swift Arwings. The rest of the division was positioned at the front. Kirby, riding upon the rainbow-colored Dragoon, and Meta Knight, his yellow eyes burning with the invigoration of combat, flew at the head of the Star Warriors, prepared to ensure the mission's success at all costs. Below at the tip of the arrow, Link and Marth were mounted on horses side by side and getting ready to lead their men into battle (Link obviously riding Epona). Epona was a deep auburn while the rest of the stallions and war-horses were black and brown. Directly behind them, forming the second and third rows of the triangle, were Mario and Luigi (piggybacking the Babies), Roy, the Ice Climbers, Pac-man, Bomberman, Ness, and Shadow the Hedgehog.

The great number of heroes assigned to this task proved how important it was to the Alliance's success. If they failed, all that had happened in the last two chapters would be for nothing. There was a great pressure upon them in this way, but the comfort of their unity gave each individual great strength.

Link stopped stroking his loyal Epona's mane and turned to Marth. "Are you with me?"

"To the death," Marth replied with a brotherly smile.

Link smiled back, then turned back to face the armies of Master Hand. He drew the Biggoron Sword and pointed it forward with one hand (momentarily). Marth drew his as well, following suit. "For the freedom of our world!" Link shouted. "For our homes and families, and for Bottles! FORWARD!"

Epona and Marth's horse reared up, giving a ferocious whinny, and charged their riders forward towards the oppressing army. Everyone else behind them followed their lead, crying out valorously and drawing their swords. Even though many were forced to run along the ground, the swift moving of the cavalry encouraged them and gave them energy to pick up their pace and run swiftly along so as to keep the formation intact. Above, the Star Warriors charged ahead of the rest and met the enemy long before they did. The Great Fox and the Arwings remained above the triangle, however, for the responsibility was theirs to defend the formation from aerial attacks or ones from behind.

"Star Fox Squadron report in. Fox here," Fox spoke into his radio.

"Slippy here!"

"Falco locked and loaded."

"Peppy here…and for real, I need to retire after this…"

"Roger. Team Star Fox, fulfill the objective; remember, we must remain with the formation and defend it at all costs. Good luck, everyone. Fox out!"

While they moved closer and closer down the purple hill towards the Wire Frames, they could see similar movements both to their north and south, which helped lift their spirits even higher; the Star Warriors had already fallen upon the adversary, swooping down and slashing, swooshing, and swinging their weapons upon the Wire Frames, which creations proved to be as feeble as ever. To add to all this, Mario and Luigi had used yet another Copy Flower, so their enemy wouldn't merely be dealing with two Marios and two Luigis, rather a hundred instead.

At last, the arrow formation began to cut into the Wire Frame forces. Link and Marth were the first of the horses to begin the great trampling which ensued. The Wire Frames were too slow; a few of them managed to jump over the cavalry only to be combo attacked by the Marios and Luigis, sent to oblivion via Roy's flaming sword, smashed down by Popo and Nana's hammers, devoured like a pellet or blue ghost by the running Pac-man, blown up by one of Bomberman's smooth blue bombs, fried by Ness's PK Fire, kicked away by Shadow's flaming white shoes, or stabbed by weapons wielded by the infantry.

But for the most part, the arrow formation sliced through Master Hand's armies even more quickly and effectively than the assaulters or defenders, leaving most of the Wire Frames' bodies flattened by the horses. Nothing seemed to be able to stand in their way, and the morale of everyone was high. No casualties, after five minutes of fighting, had yet been suffered.

The thriving warriors, heroes, and pilots continued on in this way for nearly an hour, cutting so far into the Wire Frames' ranks that soon they could only barely see the rest of the Alliance battling distantly behind them. But then, as is known, things turned up a notch.

They reached the end of the typically built Wire Frames, but their progress was immediately and dramatically slowed when their opponents suddenly changed from simply male and female to twenty-five completely unique variations. Almost at once, many more of the Wire Frames evaded the trampling horses or retaliated first. The Star Warriors faced numberless projectiles firing up at them: fireballs, lightning bolts, arrows, lasers, Shadow Balls, etc. Marth, Link, and the rest of the heroes pushed their way forcefully forward, but couldn't easily move on without waiting for the painfully gradual advancement of the rest of the formation behind them. Team Star Fox was now engaged in vicious combat with the Aparoid army while struggling to remain above the group.

Now dozens were falling on both sides, and the formation continued moving forward at only a fraction of their previous speed. The morning blazed into mid-afternoon, and although they had gone miles, there was still no visible sign of Master Hand's room ahead. The rest of the Alliance had completely vanished behind them, and in front of them the slightly hilly Battlefields seemed to stretch on forever with no limits or bounds…

…

Kirby fought fiercely, sucking in enemies here and spitting them out there, slicing into several at once with the sharp front of Dragoon. But then he noticed a blue-green figure bulldozing through the Wire Frames in front of them at a speed of at least 100 mph. The figure continued to speed in his direction, knocking away its own allies, and at a gradual angle it lifted off the ground and made with much unfriendliness towards Kirby and the Dragoon. The puffball sensed this hostility, and sloped Dragoon up just in time to avoid colliding with the new enemy. It sped by in a blur, but this glance was enough for Kirby to identify the Air Rider which had almost killed him. It was Hydra, the other legendary Air Ride Machine which was known for its brutal, deadly speed and its three thorny green points protruding from the glowing yellow base. However, the Hydra had passed by underneath him too quickly for Kirby to clearly see the rider, so he turned Dragoon around to face the rider of Hydra who had also stopped in the air to prepare for another charge.

Not too surprising it was to discover that controlling Hydra was none other than Metal Kirby, its round metal figure featureless and emotionless. Kirby knew trying to reason with the clone would not be worthwhile, so after seeing the Hydra charging up for another strike, the famous Star Warrior dived down below and began contemplating a strategy to defeat his metal adversary.

He decided to curve back straight upwards underneath Metal Kirby where the clone couldn't very well see him, but a split second before he would have sliced into Hydra, the machine barrel rolled to the side and pursued the Dragoon in an upwards spiral. Kirby glanced behind as he ascended, the sky a blur all around, and saw Metal Kirby advancing close below him, so he executed a full loop-de-loop and was now behind Hydra.

Metal Kirby suddenly came to an abrupt halt and turned around, however, and Kirby did not have time to react before crashing into the thorny points. Kirby was sent careening painfully off Dragoon, which flipped around in the air and then exploded into pieces. The pink puffball puffed up five times in an attempt to stay aloft, but after the fifth, he gasped for air and began plummeting downwards, spinning uncontrollably, towards the ground far below. The air whizzed past him, and now Hydra was coming back at a horizontal angle with the intent of spearing Kirby on its sharp points…

Then, faster than even Hydra, a red blur raced down from above, cushioned Kirby's fall, and whisked him away before Hydra could get to him. Kirby, dazed, looked dizzily at what he was now riding upon, and saw that it was one of the Wolfens of Team Star Wolf—the Black Rose, to be exact. A feline voice sounded from inside the cockpit.

"Panther always rends aid to allies in need. Ah, but what's this?" The black-furred cat looked to his right to see Kirby clinging onto the wing. He then saw that behind him, Metal Kirby had redirected Hydra and was coming in for yet another strike. "Looks as if this small friend lacks a means of combating his enemy. Panther would deliver the finishing blow himself, but his noble instinct deems that this is your foe to defeat. Here, friend, take this…" Panther opened the cockpit and handed Kirby a red rose. Kirby took it in his stubby arms, but looked confused. Why had this strange pilot given him a rose, of all things?

"Panther knows this may seem to be a useless gift at the moment, but somehow he believes that you can use it to your advantage. Farewell, little pink hero, and remember the act of kindness performed for you this day by Panther Caruso. And you needn't worry about returning the rose; Panther possesses plenty more…"

Hydra came up rapidly behind the Black Rose, intent on obliterating it, when Panther executed a 180° loop, avoiding Hydra and now going the other way. Unfortunately, this required the Wolfen to turn upside down, and as the Hydra was passing below, Kirby fell off of the Black Rose and barely grabbed onto the back of the Hydra while still holding the red rose. He had to be careful not to prick his stubby hand on it because it was so _thorny_…

At the moment, Metal Kirby did not appear to notice the unwanted hitchhiker, so Kirby flailed in the air behind the Air Machine as it jerked and flew in search of him. With no other ideas in mind, Kirby drew in a deep breath of air, tossed the rose in his mouth, and swallowed it painfully as the thorns scratched his throat (I will not go deep into puffball anatomy here).

_Poof!_ Rose Kirby was born. Similar to Spike Kirby, this new Copy Ability caused the previously pink hero to be covered in small spikes, or in this case, thorns. He was also now as green as the dark stem of a rose, and positioned comically on top of his head was a bright red flower. Also, instead of his hands ending as stubs, thorny tendrils extended a few feet beyond on each side and ended with two more roses; Kirby's arms now functioned more like ball-and-chains, or Ivysaur's Vine Whip.

Realizing that his new appearance blended in well with the thorny points of Hydra, Kirby swung his tendril-arms quietly around the base of the left horn and attached himself discreetly to it with the two roses interlocking and twisting together on the other side (although he needn't worry about noise because of the ruckus of the war below and the screeching of the wind). He could see the back edge of Metal Kirby as the Hydra sped through the air, still in search of the one it had been sent to find and take down. The headwind pushed against Rose Kirby, but with the sticking of the thorns, he held on.

Finally gathering up enough courage, Rose Kirby unstuck all of his thorns from the horn, and began swinging back and forth on the loop formed by his tendril-arms (Lanky Kong would have been proud). He did this until he had enough momentum to propel him completely over the top of Hydra and land almost on top of Metal Kirby. And this, being impossible to go unnoticed in the top fringes of the clone's eyesight (which I still have not figured out since they do not technically have eyes), caused Metal Kirby to finally turn around to see Rose Kirby frowning with his tendril-arms waving about. But before it could do anything, Rose Kirby swiftly wrapped his tendrils around the metal figure and lifted it clean into the air with his temporary plant-like strength. Then, even as the Hydra continued to speed forward undirected at well over any approved speed limit except in space, Rose Kirby began to spin round and round, swinging Metal Kirby in a wide circle with him. He did this faster and faster until they were a spinning blur within a blur, like Mario spinning Bowser around on an F-Zero machine, and then finally let go, releasing his metal duplicate far away. As far as my research goes, Metal Kirby was destroyed mid-fall by a turret fired by the Delano 7, the ship piloted by the bounty hunter Sylux. For I know that only its scattered metal chunks remained afterwards.

"My Rider!" Kirby called out as he gained control of the Hydra. And that was all he needed to say. However, he had to dispose of his Rose abilities in order to effectively maneuver the vehicle. When he looked down he was shocked to see nothing but Wire Frames as far as the eye could see, packed densely together like purple ants. Kirby knew he was supposed to be helping those heading for Master Hand's fortress, but at this point there was no hope in trying to find his way back in time. So he resolved that he may as well begin carving his way here. Hydra was nigh unstoppable, after all…

From below, the green figure of Hydra suddenly dropped straight back onto the ground, and began charging though dozens upon dozens of Wire Frames, helpless even in their many variations. Many Kirby Frames attempted to confront him while riding upon other Air Ride machines, but of course it was no contest against the legendary beast of machinery (although Kirby did wonder where they acquired Air Riders in the first place).

Kirby eventually claimed the title for the defeat of the most Wire Frames attributed solely to his name during this war—and it's not hard to figure out how.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:** (Master Hand's Room)

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka


	42. Chapter 16:2: The Door of Hero's Bane

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{2} The Door of Hero's Bane**

Back at the point of the arrow formation, the horses continued to charge ceaselessly through the virtual ocean of Wire Frames. It was a challenge with all the different attacks and styles facing them at once, and there were many who fell honorably, but in general the Alliance was able to avoid most of their attacks if they kept up a continuous speed. But they had been doing this for so long that many of the soldiers began to lose hope…

Finally, a sign that their push was nearing its end made itself manifest. Although there was, indeed, no giant wall or door as Professor E. Gadd had imagined, there was a single arch which appeared to be of significance because beyond this arch there were no more Wire Frames. Link and Marth at the lead first noticed this strange landmark, and called out to the rest of their forces encouragingly.

"We are almost there!" Marth shouted. "To the arch at the bottom of this slope!" This slope they were now on was very gradual, with the distant arch at the far end. But beyond that, the rest of the landscape beyond appeared perfectly—and I mean _perfectly_—flat. It seemed, as has been mentioned before, to stretch on forever: no sea, only the early afternoon sky on the level horizon.

Before them, a couple hundred feet away, Meta Knight dropped back and warned them in a loud voice. "Beware! Their mounted fighters guarding the arch are fierce; they repel our Star Warriors with arrows of fire. We cannot compete against them." The masked warrior then called on the Star Warriors to fall back to allow the cavalry to step in where they could not prevail.

"Mounted fighters?" Link asked, startled. "What kind of Wire Frames can be ridden?"

"See for yourself," was all Meta Knight said before he and his warriors split to help reinforce the flanks.

Link, Marth, and the other heroes anticipated these last obstacles in the way of what was no doubt the entrance to Master Hand's room. But on closer look, they realized that they all appeared to be the _same_. These were Link Frames, which explained the arrows, but what surprised most of them was that they were actually riding horses of the same nature, or Horse Frames. This, at least, was one variation of Wire Frames which was not part of the Original 25. Yet this fact did not make the reality any easier to face. It would be cavalry versus cavalry, for the foot soldiers stood no chance against mounted opponents so high off the ground. Even the other heroes besides Link and Marth merged with the foot soldiers and relied on the strength of their horsemen to win this unexpected struggle. The biggest issue, however, was that there were hundreds upon hundreds of them blocking their way to the arch in a thick wall of Horse and Link Frames, far outnumbering their own forces.

"Let's go," Link committed as he was the first to guide his loyal horse Epona into the final barrier. His green hat fluttered about in the wind behind him, his blue eyes sparked with fearlessness, and the golden Triforce of Courage blazed on the back of his left hand.

"Link—wait!" Marth charged along soon afterwards, gesturing behind him for the rest of the cavalry to follow.

Link lifted the Biggoron Sword high over his head and gave a cry as he brought it down onto the head of the foremost Link Frame. It sliced clean through the tough jelly-like material and wire and split it smoothly in half, each side falling off of the Horse Frame, which Link kicked over with his boot as he passed by. Something rather uncomfortable occurred, however, as each and every one of the Link frames simultaneously turned their featureless faces, stamped with red Smash symbols, towards the Hero of Time in an almost zombie-like manner. They did not pay the slightest attention to Marth and the rest of the horsemen even when they began to be cast down. All focus was centered on Link, as if that was their only purpose and concern…

Then the green-garbed young man did something he'd never done before. He carefully stood upon the bony but sturdy back of his steed, bending his knees, and performed the mightiest Hurricane Spin he'd ever done—while upon a moving horse. The Biggoron sword had such a long range and carried so much momentum that with each full circle, dozens of Link Frames were beheaded and fell to the ground. It was yet another example of a blur within a blur. In this fashion, the legendary hero proceeded unchallenged through the riding Link Frames—until they responded.

Every one of the Link Frames suddenly directed their horses towards Link and Epona, and many of them began shooting arrows in his direction. Link, amidst his spinning, did not pay heed to where Epona was carrying him, and she being among the wisest of horses, galloped not toward the arch, but at a 90° angle to the right away from it. The result of all this was that the masses of enemy riders moved in the same direction away from both the arch and Marth's horsemen, soon clearing a path for the formation to enter unhindered. Link and Epona, however, were now isolated.

"What is the fool _doing?_" Marth muttered, reigning in his horse to point it towards the pursuing Link frames.

"Wait, Marth!" Roy cried from behind him. "Link is leading them away to give us a chance to reach the arch! We must take it while we still have the chance, or his act of bravery will have been in vain!"

But Marth hesitated. He did not, of all things, want to leave anyone, especially a friend, behind to face all the enemies they had bypassed.

"Marth! Now!"

And with a deep breath, knowing the Prince Roy was right, Marth reluctantly urged his horse onward to the arch with the rest of the formation, the Star Warriors and Team Star Fox still defending the borders from above as they went along.

…

Link and Epona continued their ceaseless rampage, cutting through every individual standing in their way with the unmatched might of the Biggoron Sword. Nothing, including the swords wielded by the Link Frames which were made of the same material as themselves, could hold against the swinging and spinning of that great weapon.

That is, until something stopped them.

Arrows came down in a ceaseless volley, striking even their own units. Link had been able to block against the arrows with the blade of his sword and the Hylian Shield on his back, and his head was protected while performing the Hurricane Spin because it was ducked down. Epona was shielded both by Link and the surrounding Link and Horse Frames. But finally, one flaming arrow pierced its way through their defenses and struck Epona in the stomach.

The horse whinnied in pain and collapsed sideways onto the ground, the arrow still stuck and burning her skin. Link cried out as he was suddenly thrown off his horse onto the purple Battlefield surface, the Biggoron Sword flying out of his grasp and clattering several yards away out of his reach. He lay helplessly on his back, his right arm throbbing with pain; it must have been broken. Looking over to his right and seeing Epona thrashing in agony as the fire spread, Link struggled to drag himself towards her. But the Link Frames had all stopped their horses in a tight circle around the two of them, and one rider emerged from the rest and dismounted its horse. It was Metal Link.

Metal Link walked up to the burning horse, and without a second thought, stabbed its heavy metal sword into Epona's heart and left it there, sticking out and wobbling slightly.

"Epona…no…" Link crawled faster towards his fallen horse, but just before he could touch the sleek mane, he gasped as something sharp was thrust into his stomach, pinning him to the ground. He looked up to see Metal Link standing over him, still holding the Biggoron Sword which it had used to pierce the sword's own wielder. It twisted the sword both ways and left it there, making his insides scream tortuously. Link weakly reached into his inventory to release a Fairy to revive him, drawing out a small bottle with a pink light inside it and attempting to unscrew the lid. But a ruthless metal boot crushed both his hands and the bottle, killing his last hope of survival. Epona had stopped moving, her flesh being consumed by fire.

Metal Link climbed back onto his Horse Frame without a glance back, and directed the Link Frames back to where the formation was crossing towards the arch. The horde of riding Link Frames galloped away, a few of them trampling the two mangled bodies on the ground—one dead, the other dying. Little did Link know that his foe holding the Triforce of Power was in the same situation; both hero and villain would soon be no more.

…

"Link!" Marth yelled as he saw the mounted figure fall from his horse. But there was nothing they could do except go on. As they neared the arch, its details became clearer and clearer, revealing it to be an enormous door with a rounded top and a golden knob with a keyhole beneath it. It was shaped, strangely, exactly like a mouse hole. But behind it there was nothing, just the other side of the door.

As Marth and the rest reached the door, soldiers looked confused as they walked around the isolated door, knocking on the wood of both sides to hear nothing unusual. Marth tried the golden handle but it was, of course, locked.

"What can we do?" he said. "Does anyone think they know the key which can unlock this door?"

At this question, the two Ice Climbers thought intensely. They had come across several keys during their adventure: the Dimension Key, Mr. Game & Watch's black key which pierced Piranha Gohma…

"That's it!" Nana cried. She reached into her parka and drew out the first key they had come across during their adventure: the key used to escape the Battlefields into Fourside City, the one guarded by a tribe of Spear Guys and nearly lost to a giant single-eyed lamp monster. Surely if it could get them out of the Battlefields on the other side, it could help them enter the mouse hole-shaped door here.

Nana grasped the key with her mitten and walked forward to the door. She jumped as high as she could, generating the well-known Ice Climber _boing_ sound, and shoved the key into the brass keyhole. Now hanging from the key, she used both mittens to turn the key with a click, and jumped down, backing away for Marth. The prince twisted the doorknob and pulled with a heave. The door moved. Everyone else backed away as he opened the door the furthest it could go on its hinges and peered inside. It took only one glance to confirm that, despite the lack of logic, this hole entered into Master Hand's room.

"Come on! Inside, hurry!" Marth commanded as he and the other heroes filed in first, followed by the hundreds of soldiers and cavalry (Marth locked the door and took the key out before he left). They had difficulty narrowing the formation to roughly two-by-two so that they would all fit inside.

But while the procession was going through the door, all the distracted Link Frames and their horses turned back around and began charging at them, realizing their quarry was escaping. By the time the back ends of the horses and soldiers had disappeared into the mouse hole, there was barely enough time for the Star Warriors and Arwings to squeeze through (the Arwings barely fit). The Great Fox, of course, could not enter the door, so the ship instead began raining its lasers down upon the mounted Link Frames to give the rest more time to get through.

Roy, who had been waiting and holding the door open for the Alliance fighters to get through, continued to hold it open with his right foot as Fox, Falco, and Slippy zoomed by. The swordsman charged up a full-powered swing of his fiery sword and released it with an explosion when the Link Frames drew near. This blow affected a radius of several yards ahead of him, massacring the Link and Horse Frames, sending them flying back in flames, and giving Roy time to pull the door closed with another click. But even as he closed it, he could feel dozens of arrows pound into the wood, and could only trust in the strength of the lock as he turned with the rest to view the end of their long journey beyond.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Young Link, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:** (Master Hand's Room)

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)**

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**Captive:**

Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Link?


	43. Chapter 16:3: Trophy Attack

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{3} Trophy Attack**

Rambi the Rhino charged through the Link Frames with Young Link on his back, knocking them aside with his bulk and horn. Above, the Great Fox continued to rain destruction upon the Wire Frames, which were now scattered about randomly; Metal Link, however, had vanished completely.

"Yahoo!" Inside the Great Fox, Peppy did a little dance as his piloting skill saw to the end of yet another cluster of Link Frames. "I haven't had this much fun since—OW, my back! Dagnabbit!" The old hare cringed as his foolish sudden movement took its toll on his spine. He sat back down and refocused on the battle.

Meanwhile, the rhino carried Young Link across the field of fallen Horse Frames and Link Frames, most of them either decapitated or incinerated, and finally reached the only colored figures out of the whole field. Rambi came to a skidding halt next to Link and Epona, allowing Young Link to dismount. "Thanks, Rambi." But then he saw his older self. "Link! No!" The boy ran up to the dying figure.

Rambi gave them a sad sympathizing look, but then narrowed his eyes, turned to the nearest Wire Frames, and charged away.

Young Link knelt down and tried to pull out the Biggoron Sword from Link's chest, but this only caused the Hero of Time to scream in pain. "Aaargghh!"

The Kokiri boy began to cry, not knowing what to do. He looked over at Epona, but all that was left was a smoldering horse skeleton—the metal sword which should have been sticking through the middle was gone. But, of course, Young Link did not know that. He just shook his older self until Link's eyes opened halfway and spoke in a faint voice.

"Hey, kid…don't worry about me…even though you are me, we both have separate fates…because we live in separate times. Save Zelda…even Ganondorf…don't let the Alliance fail…and don't forget the power of the Triforce of Courage…" Link lifted his left arm and matched it up to Young Link's; on the backs of both hands glowed the golden triangle which they both possessed. But then one of the triangles faded away, and the hand which had hosted it fell to the ground.

Young Link's child-like thoughts were first of disbelief, then despair, then self-blame, then anger, then hatred, and finally of vengeance. He suddenly stood with flames in his eyes, unsheathed his Kokiri Sword, and ran out into the everlasting struggle of war.

…

The Star Fox Team and Star Warriors did not dare venture any further into Master Hand's Room, for they, like the rest, were deeply intimidated by the scene before them. So, after the mouse hole was shut, the three Arwings and fifty warriors landed not far away, and awaited further direction from those in the front. This included those who had been here before as prisoners during a time which seemed so long ago: namely Marth, Mario (still piggybacking his infant self), Nana (Popo was close behind), and Ness (quivering in fear and anxiety). The four heroes, with the rest clustered a few yards behind, could not believe that after the terrible things they had witnessed here, they were now returning to the very place in which they'd been imprisoned. For a long while, everyone simply stared at the disproportionate expanse beyond.

It was as if one had been shrunk to the size of an ant, but in reality, everything was just bigger. The vast stretch of empty floor space constituted about sixty percent of the room, and from end to end it was about a mile and a half long and the same distance wide. And the walls rose up to nearly half that amount. Along the right wall were the colossal shelves bearing the various Nintendo gaming systems the same size as they had been inside the Dimension Conflux with the SONY television in the center having a screen larger than the most imposing of theater or drive-in screens. Along the left-hand wall was a gigantic four-poster bed, above which were several posters depicting images of some of Nintendo's most famous of characters, including even some of those down below. In the far left corner was a corner-fitted wooden desk complete with a lamp, clock, computer, pencil holder, and assortment of paper documents. Finally, in the very center of Master Hand's Room was the great table on which towered Master Hand's fortress. It was built of dark grey stone, only had windows which were dark and barred, and was very square in shape with flat square battlements consisting of traditional crenels and merlons. There was no flag or insignia visible, and from their current position, neither the contents of the table nor the entrance of the fortress could be seen.

Nothing within the range of experience of all those who had just entered Master Hand's Room could ever match the awkward dauntingness which made each individual feel so small and insignificant as to the point where they began to doubt their ability to continue their mission. This place, if it were shrunken to a normal size, would simply look to be a common combination of an office and a bedroom with a castle model on a table; but as it was, they felt every bit as terrified as did the boy from _Jack and the Beanstalk_ while traversing the giant's household. It seemed to make their goal impossible.

The silent emptiness of Master Hand's lair also added to the suspense. Some had half-expected to find the room filled with even more Wire Frames, but it was completely empty. After the long period of awe had passed, however, Mario took up leadership and snapped the Alliance soldiers and heroes out of their hopeless trances.

"Let's a-go!" the plumber urged, stepping forward. After movement had finally been made, everyone else worked up the courage to follow.

"I think I'll stay here," Roy called from the very back next to the mouse hole. "In case something happens…" This was not an act of cowardice by any means; it was merely a sensible volunteering to guard and protect the single entrance into the room, regardless of it being locked. Marth handed the red-haired prince the key before they continued on.

For everyone else, the long apprehensive trek across Master Hand's Room had begun. They went at a very brisk pace, but not at a charge; each soldier, hero, Star Warrior, and pilot was extensively wary of their surroundings, searching constantly to detect any kind of movement. But there seemed to be nothing in their way or blocking their path. It was as if Master Hand had invited them to his room, instead of the invasion this was supposed to be. So they went on for at least an hour or two before they reached the legs of the giant table and finally had to decide what to do next.

And, of course, the two most experienced climbers in the Nintendo World were the ones who stepped forward with the solution. Popo rode on the wing of Fox's Arwing to the very top of the table, jumped off, and holding one end, threw down his climbing rope to Nana far below. For most anyone else, the drop from this table would seem terrifying, being over a hundred feet above the ground, but for the Ice Climbers, height was all they lived for.

After setting up harnesses, end knots, and several soldiers on belay, Popo and Nana gave the go-ahead for people to start climbing. Nana remained at the bottom, instructing them on how to hold the rope and use it to ascend. Mario, Marth, and the other heroes went first, followed by the soldiers. The horses had to be left below; even the giant nail to which Popo had tied the end of the rope would not be strong enough to pull the weight of such animals. A steady line of climbers had soon formed, taking about five minutes for each individual to reach the top of the table.

Meanwhile, the three Arwings helped quicken the process by taking constant trips on their Arwings from the floor of the room to the tabletop, bearing four persons on each round. Luckily they had filled their ships' fuel tanks to the brim for this war, or else they never would have been able to stay aloft so long. Meta Knight led the Star Warriors in a vertical formation which were up in moments, waiting on the table for the rest. For hours on end these methods were put to use non-stop, slowly decreasing the number of fighters still on the bottom and increasing those at the top.

Finally, after Nana had pushed herself over the wooden edge of the table and pulled up the rope, the five hundred Hylian and Fire Emblem soldiers were all clustered in the corner of the enormous table along with the heroes and resting from their tiring climb. The only ones who didn't seem fatigued and in need of a few minutes' rest were the Star Warriors and the Ice Climbers themselves. But although successful, this tedious task took a large amount of time. Outside the room, the sun was already beginning to set. King Dedede was commanding the armies of Dreamland to retreat; Mr. Dragon Patch was firing his final succession of flaming beach balls; E. Gadd was pursuing his evil cousin through the perils of Reeka's factory. They had consumed a great amount of time already, and hadn't yet even reached the fortress. Time was now of the essence after their necessary rest.

Now that they were on the table, the contents of the surface could be seen. But unlike in the beginning of this story, the forest model in front of the Fortress was no longer there. In fact, it was now completely barren, polished white like a normal-sized tabletop, except for the rows and columns of objects lined up before it. Nothing moved before them nor appeared to stand in their way to the two black stone doors at the front of the fortress. So, as the heroes led the army forward once more following their rest, they were taken aback as they realized what these ordered objects were.

Trophies. Hundreds of them, lined up perpendicularly all across the table. Standing on each of the circular trophy stands were many familiar objects, creatures—and people; from every realm of the Nintendo World and Universe, Master Hand's collection sent a chill down the spines of each of the invaders as they walked slowly past each row. They recognized Chunky Kong, The Master (from the Toad Town Dojo), Birdo, Darknut, Megaman, Andrew Oikonny, Wario, Waluigi, and Sonic the Hedgehog from the list of those missing after the Battle of Fourside. But there were many, many others, and about a third were inanimate objects such as a Fire Flower or Screw Attack. All sorts of creatures from Hyrule, the Kingdoms, Dreamland, the jungle, and space could be seen. Many inanimate Space Pirates seemed to silently threaten those passing by with their mutated insect-like features. It was a very unnerving thing for Mario and Luigi to walk past the Wario Bros, posing obliviously and completely lifeless. Shadow stopped again at Sonic's trophy and spoke quietly under his breath, "Don't worry, Sonic; soon we will bring you back."

Some of the heroes noticed a spot on the wooden surface different from the rest, covered with some incredibly hard white substance (super glue?). They knew that below this, no doubt, was the hole which led to the old Resistance HQ, mysterious because the tunnel descended from the top of a table but went down and down underground instead of coming out through the table's underside.

Another thing they noticed: the trophies of Pikachu, Peach, Samus, Captain Falcon, and potentially Zelda were nowhere to be found.

When at last they had reached the end of the life-sized trophy collection, organized like statues in a courtyard, the dark stone doors were before them. But instead of knobs, in place of them were white hands with open palms, just daring anyone to twist them. No one wanted to touch much less grab such uninviting hands, even if they were not real. But it had to be done. Mario and Marth approached the doors timidly but bravely, slowly reaching out to grasp the white hands…

They each grabbed a hand, twisted it, and with a heave, began pulling outwards. But as soon as the white hands had been touched, a surge of some invisible force swept across the entire room, causing some to shudder. And then, before the two heroes could pull the heavy doors open any further, panicking yells erupted behind them. They turned around to behold a truly disturbing scene.

The hundreds of armored soldiers, clustered throughout the Trophy collection, were in an uproar. For several, even dozens of what had been thought to be inanimate objects were now showing signs of life—unfriendly signs of life. Each of the grotesque Space Pirates had suddenly cease their pretense of being frozen in place atop Trophy Stands, and ambushed the soldiers, killing several immediately with energy scythes, Phazon-powered weapons, and other unfairly matched means of destruction. They advanced mercilessly, letting out cruel inhumane roars as they defied the many jabs from steel swords which were far from able to penetrate their superior armor. Even though they were not many, about 24 different mutations, only the weakest of Pirate Militia were at all harmed by the soldiers' defense. Fox, Falco, and Slippy had to exit their Arwings before they could lend their assistance, for it would not do for them to fire Arwing blasts which could harm their own.

And as if that wasn't enough, across the room on the computer desk, a purple beam blasted through the computer monitor in the direction of the table, missing, but shattering the screen and revealing what was hidden inside. It was Mother Brain, the debatable commander of the Space Pirates. Her huge, spiked, slimy mass had been awaiting their arrival with the other Space Pirates the entire time, inside the massive computer monitor which served as her energy source. The single dark throbbing eye in her front had been what had shot the beam, and already she was preparing to fire a second.

And far below, appearing from behind a towering trash can, the 65 foot, 110 ton reptilian monster known as Kraid stomped terribly towards the mouse hole, with only a single person to defend it—Roy. The prince was frightened beyond belief, thinking that he would fight the Black Knight any day as opposed to this, but bravely raised his sword infused with the powers of fire.

Naturally, Marth, Mario, and the other heroes were temporarily stunned at the entrance to the fortress. But then Marth shouted over the chaos in a commanding voice, "Mario; Luigi; infants; Ness; bomb-wielding man in a space suit; Pac-man; Popo; Nana; Shadow. You must all go on. Now, while there's still time. I must stay to defend my people as long as I live. But you are the only ones left to complete the mission; hurry! I know not how long these space fiends can be held off. No matter what happens, defeat Master Hand and Crazy Hand and find a way to reverse the effects of the Trophy Transformer. I bid thee all farewell." Not one to be swayed, Marth dashed away from the fortress into the masses of soldiers towards the nearest Space Pirate, not expecting to survive.

Mario and the rest were aghast, but knew Marth was right. The red plumber, with a heave, pulled the door outwards until the opening was wide enough for them to enter. "Let's a-go!"

"Waaaah, ho hwa huaa!" Luigi wailed, standing slightly separated from the rest, shivering with his knees buckling and his hands pulling his hat down over his eyes.

Mario glared at his cowardly brother. "Luigi! Not even the Babies are crying! And somewhere in a-there, the Princess is a-waiting for us to rescue her! We must a-do it! And…" Mario looked down. "…we need your a-help."

Luigi stopped shaking, and looked up, realizing his older brother was right. They were on the final stage of the journey; they couldn't quit now. "Let's e-go!" he agreed, shifting the dawdling Baby Luigi on his back.

And so, together, the ten Nintendo heroes entered Master Hand's Fortress, while the massacre went on behind them.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:** (Master Hand's Room)

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)** Space Pirates, Mother Brain, Kraid

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby, Young Link, Zelda  
**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Link, Ganondorf?


	44. Chapter 16:4: Break in and Break out

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{4} Break-in and Break-out**

The Black Rose tore through the sky, maneuvering around lasers and Aparoids and Cornerian war ships, until it rejoined Star Wolf and the Bounty Hunters. The encounter with Pigma had already passed, after which Panther had broken off to assist Kirby. The push against the Wire Frames may still have been greatly outnumbered, but the defense below still seemed to be holding, regardless of the departure of a certain hammer-wielding penguin. And with the expertise and swiftness of the group of flying rogues, the combat against the Aparoids was going even better. There were only a few of the parasite creatures left, and the Cornerian Fleet was taking high priority in finishing them off.

"Alright, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm done here," Krystal said impatiently over the radio communicators. "I need to find Fox…" The Cloud Runner then turned away from the group and made a direct course for the arched door of the mouse hole.

"Krystal…wait!" Panther replied with a surprising amount of sincerity. "Panther wishes to help as well."

Wolf could see where this was going. "Leon, are you in? Where one member of the Elite Star Wolf Squadron goes, the team follows."

The chameleon shrugged. "More victims? Sure, why not?"

Behind them, the Bounty Hunters, as independent as they were, were communicating in some strange alien language. Finally, Sylux responded. "Most of us are tiring of this place in any case. We will accompany you to this 'Master Hand's Room' as well out of pure curiosity."

"This way, then," Krystal said as she led them across the sky at a lower elevation towards the arch. "The path looks clear, but the door is shut…" And indeed, thanks to the Great Fox, all the nearby Wire Frames, especially Link Frames, had been chased away from the arch several hundred yards. If they had looked carefully, they might even have spotted Link and Epona on the ground several hundred feet to the north.

"But…this door leads nowhere!" Trace the bounty hunter spat.

"Oh, I'm sure it does," Wolf objected. "Otherwise, McCloud and the others wouldn't have completely disappeared through it…"

"Only one way to find out," the blue fox said through gritted teeth as she fired several lasers at the wooden door, thinking about Fox. But, with the stubbornness of everything related to Master Hand, anyone could predict that this did not work. The smoke from the blast cleared to reveal the arch to be exactly the same as before.

The other ships waited as Krystal landed the Cloud Runner in front of the door and got out, hurrying up to the door. "I'm not usually one for ridiculous formalities, but…" Krystal knocked on the door.

As they waited, the Black Rose suddenly tilted slightly on its own as if it had gained an extra burden of weight. "Hm?" Panther looked outside his cockpit on both sides, but saw nothing.

"What's wrong, Panther?" Wolf asked gruffly.

"Hm…must have been shrapnel, Panther thinks…" the black cat pondered.

…

Roy's hands shook as he faced the oncoming Kraid. Those claws and belly spikes looked so very sharp…

Then he heard something that he least expected: a knock on the door. He wasn't usually one for ridiculous formalities, but he was getting desperate here…

"Hello?" Roy called over the noise of the chaos going on both inside and outside the Room. Kraid was getting nearer.

A muffled voice: "This is Krystal! I need to get to Fox! Please let us in!"

"Us?" But at this point, Roy figured that whoever was polite enough to take the time to knock on the door would be much less dangerous than facing Kraid alone. He opened the door, and was flung backwards as the Cloud Runner, followed by three Wolfens and nine other ships, zoomed into the room. The red-haired prince hurriedly closed the door and re-locked it before anything else could get inside.

The newcomers' reactions were not unlike that of the other invaders; if anything, they were even more taken back by the chaotic scene before them. And, upon realizing the involvement of the Space Pirates, the Bounty Hunters backed away from a single other.

"Are you in on this, Weavel?" Noxus hissed.

"As sure as Phaaze I'm not!" The singled-out Bounty Hunter boomed. "I've been separated from the Space Pirates for years, and I would never side with this Master Hand freak!"

"Hmph. Fair enough," concluded Spire.

The general consensus was still suspicious, but mostly the same, so they continued onward after Krystal's lead until finally locating Team Star Fox below.

"Fox! There he is!" Krystal didn't hesitate to land her ship next to the Arwings and join with her team. She carried her blue staff, but still was clad in the Cornerian suit.

But Fox was astounded, even angry, as he combated a Pirate Trooper. "Krystal? You shouldn't be here—"

"—Save it, Fox. I'm helping. You can't expect me to sit in Sauria and wait for you to return or die." Krystal prevented the Trooper from blasting Fox from behind by whacking it with her staff.

Fox sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Krystal. Just…be careful…"

Krystal smiled, and the two faced the enemy together.

Meanwhile, the still-airborne rogues looked about them.

"That swordsman looks like he needs assistance," Rundas said (the events of Metroid Prime 3 had not yet occurred), and he flew off to help tackle Kraid.

"Is that…_Mother Brain?_" Gandrayda and Ghor left to approach the deadly single-eyed enemy.

The remaining six Bounty Hunters and Star Wolf had also been about to land and attack the Space Pirates, but at that moment, dozens more revealed themselves from behind gaming systems, potted plants, and miscellaneous items on the desktop, and began firing weapons at them and the soldiers, creating an even more chaotic crossfire across the room. Roy and Rundas simultaneously fell upon the roaring and slashing Kraid. The four members of Team Star Fox alone were strong enough to fight back against the Space Pirates on the table, so it was a poor situation indeed for the soldiers from Hyrule and the Land of Fire.

"It looks like our hands are full," Wolf growled, looking around at the nearly overwhelming enemies.

"You don't say," said Sylux.

"I will destroy them all!" Kanden bellowed. The superhuman and the rest of the Bounty Hunters departed into the fray.

"This is cowardice!" Leon raged. For once, the vile reptile was unable to take in all of these new victims at once.

"_Urmph…"_

Wolf's instincts sensed something very bad, and he turned his Wolfen to the Black Rose, which had now become a sickly bluish-purple.

"Panther?...are you alright?"

…

**Dungeon Map: Master Hand's Fortress **

Floor 1: h t t p : / / s 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p F 1 . j p g

Floor 2: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p F 2 . j p g

Floor 3: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p F 3 . j p g

Floor 4: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p F 4 . j p g

Floor 5: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p F 5 . j p g

Roof: h t t p : / / i 7 9 0 . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / y y 1 8 6 / B o b _ S n i c k e t / F o r t r e s s M a p ROOF. j p g

The stone door slammed shut behind Mario and the rest, echoing throughout the wide hallway they were now in. The interior of Master Hand's fortress was sparsely lit, only illuminated by the torches forever being gripped by the white hands attached to the dark stone walls. The ceiling was rather low, only a foot or so above Luigi's head (who was the tallest among them). The floor was mostly covered by a surprisingly clean dark red carpet, with narrow strips of stone still visible at the edges on each side. The air seemed very musty and old, almost ancient (it was a good thing Luigi had gotten over his dust allergies previously). It extended hundreds of feet to what seemed to be a dead end at the wall on the other side.

Shadow was the first to step forward, and he lead the rest apprehensively down the dark empty hallway. Shadows flickered everywhere from the small flames on each side. They continued on, wary for any sort of surprise to leap out of the darkness, but nothing hindered them. At last, they reach the end of the hallway, but, as mentioned before, it appeared to lead to nothing but a solid stone wall composed of large blocks.

Ness, along with the rest, stopped and stared at the dead end. "Um…what now?"

"Hm…" Shadow folded his arms. "I have never been through this way, so I couldn't tell you…"

"Wait a-minute!" Mario approached the wall and crouched down to inspect the stone surface. He ran one of his gloved hands across it. "This stone is a-newly placed! It's still a-wet. Master Hand must have a-known we were a-coming. If only Bombette or Bobbery were here…"

He turned around after a round pink fist tapped him on the shoulder. Bomberman was waving his arms frantically, pointing to himself in obvious exasperation.

"Ooh, charades! Wait…I know this one…" Ness guessed, not knowing Bomberman well enough to be aware of the fact that he couldn't talk. "Um…a bird? Swimming? No? A constipated butterfly?"

"Wha ha ha!" Luigi laughed, pointing at Ness. "It's not a game, Ness. This is Bomberman; he can't a-speak, but he _can_ bomb this a-wall for us. He blew up nearly a whole battalion of Wire Frames in Saffron a-City."

Bomberman nodded, and with a furrowed brow, motioned for everyone to back away as he drew out a smooth black bomb with a skull on it, signifying that this was no ordinary bomb; it was a Dangerous Bomb, which the master of bombs used only for special circumstances such as this. After the fuse was lit, Bomberman tossed the Dangerous Bomb so that it landed very near the center of the wall, and backed away.

_BOOM!_ A forceful red blast consumed the wall in fire and smoke, and fragments of stone and debris flew past them. The blast cleared to reveal that a strangely symmetrical hole had indeed been blasted in the wall, inside which a curving staircase wound its way up and to the right. The Zelda Secret Jingle echoed throughout the hallway from nowhere in particular.

"Wh-what was that?" questioned Ness in a quavering voice in response to what he thought to be a perfectly random sound. It was most likely a lame but fitting inter-franchise reference added in by the author.

"Way to go, Bomberman!" the Ice Climbers cheered simultaneously as they began to ascend the stairs. It rose to what would seem to be the second of about four or five floors composing Master Hand's fortress, curving around and ending in another stone door with another white hand in place of a doorknob. They were all rather intimidated by this creepily repetitive pattern of lifeless hands; even the escapees tensed as Pac-man opened the door into the next floor.

And now they had finally reached the floor which was so familiar to the former prisoners, for before them lay the very Trophy Transformer which had solidified Pikachu and Princess Peach. The circular room contained nothing else save still more hand-born torches which did not satisfactorily illuminate the room—or at least, not for the cautious heroes slowly entering it. Across from them was the familiar pair of red double doors, and to their right was another hole in which a staircase continued the climb with more stone steps.

"We must a-go through the red doors," Mario decided. "If Master Hand still a-keeps any prisoners alive, that's a-where they will be." And everyone knew what Mario meant by alive: still breathing and moving, as opposed to being a helpless Trophy.

So, always constantly glancing around and behind them, the party approached the red double doors and hastily pushed through them without being challenged. Beyond they found, as they expected, the old hallway from which branched all the cells and such. The complex of hallways was actually based on a complete circle with several straight hallways extending periodically around it and ending a distance out, so that the layout would look like a sun with rays coming off of it, the Trophy Transformer room being in the center of it all. These hallways were, of course, like all the rest, dark and inadequately lit by hand torches. And occasionally there would be a large stained-glass window, depicting, most predictably, a hand.

They found the first "sun ray" hallway directly through the red doors, with three black, steel cell doors along each side. At the far end was a wall with a stained-glass window covering most of the space. Looking through the small barred window upon each door, however, they found each of the six dark cells empty.

"There are more," Nana urged.

The Ice Climbers, being in back, turned around with the rest and led them back to the roundabout hallway where they continued clockwise to the next one. But they found the second and third groups of six cells completely empty as well, and in the fourth found only dust-covered dishes, moth-eaten blankets, and over-gnawed bones. At the fifth straight hallway, which was exactly opposite the first, they heard sounds coming from the farthest cell on the left. It was also to be noticed that instead of a window was only a huge gap open to the sky (if the interior of Master Hand's Room could be called that) where the wall should have been, and there were scorch marks on the floor.

Mario frowned with anxiety. This was the very hall where he, Peach, Marth, Ness, and Pikachu had been imprisoned, and where Metal Bowser had sent him tumbling out the window with clothes aflame. Now they were back to turn the tables.

The ten heroes rushed over to the cell, and Mario looked through the barred window to find the dark outlines Master Hand's few remaining prisoners. Inside, although dark, he could make out four figures of different sizes. "We a-need to break down this a-door," Mario said urgently. He looked around at the rest.

_Stand back_, Bomberman motioned, as he drew out another bomb. He rolled it towards the door, and it went off with a mild-sized explosion. But the dust cleared to reveal the rusty steel door still perfectly intact, and now seemed to glow with a purple sheet of invisible force.

"It's protected with magic," Shadow muttered. "That means these must be some high-security prisoners…"

"Hello!" Luigi yelled through the door. "Stay calm!" We're a-here to rescue you!"

"Luigi!" One of the taller figures rushed over to the door, peering through the window, but they were still separated by the force field. The brown hair, yellow dress, and flowery tiara revealed Princess Daisy to be the speaker. "You came to save me? My hero!" Despite Daisy's ceaseless energy, it could be told from her voice that she was weary, and in very poor condition.

"Er…yeah…don't worry…" was all Luigi could say.

The other figures looked over at the door, but didn't seem to think that they would be able to break through it.

"Now, how are we going to a-get through?" Mario pondered, but he had no bright ideas.

Suddenly, the entire hallway grew even darker, but with an artificial, unnatural darkness. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place. "Chaos…CONTROL!"

A burst of colorful light pierced both the force field and the door, and the strange darkness left. Everything went back into motion, and the heavy door collapsed inwards.

Daisy staggered, coughing, out of the cell, followed by Toadette, Goombella, and Princess Zelda. Each of them looked extremely fatigued, dirty, and pale, like Marth and Ness did when they were brought back. But they were all still alive, and still able to move around.

"Are you all alright?" Mario asked.

Zelda pushed back a strand of hair from her face. "…Yes. Thank you for coming for us. But why are you all that come? Where is everyone else?"

Pac-man explained how they were now at war, both in the Battlefields and the Room, and that they were the only ones who made it to the fortress without being confronted by other enemies. And now they had to find a way to reverse the effects of the Trophy Transformer.

"Hm…so that's why Master Hand emptied the fortress…wait…" Zelda's left hand pulsed and glowed with the Triforce of Wisdom. "I sense that both of the other possessors of the Triforce are in grave danger. Now that you have broken the magic caging us here, I will take these others to safety, and see what the situation is. I am sorry I cannot render you additional aid here, but this is important, and if everything which is said about the Original 25 is true, it could mean the difference between victory and failure. I thank you again…"

"Where's…where's Goombario?" Goombella asked weakly.

"And my Toad? Is he safe?" Toadette worried.

"Don't worry about them, they're fighting with the rest for our success," Nana answered comfortingly. "And I'm sure they can look after themselves."

"Luigi…be careful," said Daisy, giving Luigi a hug.

Zelda used her magic to create a swirling current of green energy: Farore's Wind. As the prisoners were swept away by the magic, Zelda's voice echoed, "It's all up to you now. Goodbye, heroes…and good luck..." And then they were gone.

Luigi was shaken; he did not know what to think anymore.

But Shadow spurred them back into action. "Let's move on," he said simply.

They proceeded to the sixth hallway, but found it also empty. In a cell on the left-hand side of the seventh hallway, there was a lone inmate. After Pac-man had rolled into the door and destroyed it, the small immature green man known as Tingle hobbled out and thanked them in a squeaky voice. But before they could ask for his help, he hollered, "Kooloo-limpah!" and vanished in a shower of confetti. They moved on again.

Finally, in the eighth and last hallway, a great surprise awaited them in the first cell on their left. Ness shattered the door with a PK Flash, and inside were three characters no one had expected to find—especially Shadow.

"Tails? Knuckles? Amy? How can this be? You were taken back to the Microsoft World when the escape raft was seized upon by their warships…" The black hedgehog couldn't believe his eyes.

And indeed, it was Tails, Sonic's furry yellow fox friend with two very useful tails; Knuckles, red and flatter-headed with a firm stance; and Amy, cute with a pink coat of fur and a red dress. But they all looked even more exhausted and worn than Zelda's group had, for they had been here even longer—over a year, even.

Knuckles spoke in a hoarse voice. "Is that what Master Hand told you, traitor?"

Shadow looked down, closing his eyes. "I did betray Sonic, I will confess. But I've changed. My companions will attest to the fact that we are here to end this war and preserve the Nintendo World's natural order, as well as rescue everyone who's fallen into Master Hand's clutches. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused, whether you forgive me or not. But if not for me, will you all at least help such great heroes such as Mario put an end to Master Hand's reign once and for all? For Sonic's sake?"

"Are you kidding?" said Tails. "We've been here for so long, my tails are acting like dust collectors! Hardly fit to spin at this point…"

"Yeah, sorry, Shadow," Amy Rose huffed, "but we're in no condition to do _anything_ useful at the moment. You'll have to come back for us when this is all over. Just try not to destroy the fortress in the process…"

"…Very well, then," Shadow said. "Be safe. Mario, I think we are done searching. Time to get to the bottom of this…or in this case, the top…" He and the rest turned to go.

"Good luck, Shadow," Knuckles, Tails, and Amy called simultaneously as they left. Shadow smiled. They really did care.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:** (Master Hand's Room)

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** Bomberman, Link, Marth, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Villains: (known)** Space Pirates, Mother Brain, Kraid

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Wolf, Leon, Panther, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby, Young Link, Zelda

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Link, Ganondorf?


	45. Chapter 16:5: The Ascent

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{5} The Ascent**

They came back to the big red double doors, and reentered the round center room with the Trophy Transformer. Upon turning to their left to ascend the stairs to the next floor up, however, they found themselves blocked by a single figure amid the shadowy darkness which was facing away from them, in front of the stairs.

The metallic figure turned around. It was Metal Peach, expressionless and hostile as always. One wondered what it would feel like for a normal person to wear that heavy metal dress. Unfortunately, none of them, especially Ness, were able to notice the small round badge pinned to her dress.

"Here we go!" shouted Mario, generating a burning red fireball and hurling it at the metal clone. But the Franklin Badge glinted as it reflected Mario's projectile and sent it back at them. Ness, realizing what it was just before the fireball was thrown, was barely able to jump in front of the reverberation and use his PSI magnet to absorb it.

"This is bad," Ness said. "With that badge attached to it, none of our projectile attacks will work…so we can't melt it…"

But Metal Peach did not immediately fall upon them. Instead, it shook its head, metal hair shaking with it, and held up two fingers, still blocking their way up the narrow stairway.

"What's it trying to say?" Nana asked.

But then, not unlike Mewtwo's telepathy, a mental message seemed to connect with Metal Peach's gesture and made itself strangely but definitely clear to each of them. _Two must stay._

"Two of us have to stay here," Popo said. "The rest of us can go on. And…I think it will fight those two…"

The force of this reality struck each of the eight heroes (the Babies didn't have a clue about what was going on, merely content to doze on their older selves' backs until they were needed). Their group was being narrowed down even further.

"I will stay," Pac-man determined. "I think I have an idea as to how to deal with this iron maiden."

And Bomberman's determined voluntary gesture made it apparent he was desirous to remain here as well.

The two volunteers stepped aside, making themselves clearly known to the gaze of their foe.

"Ball!" Baby Mario protested, reaching out towards Pac-man, not wanting to leave him behind. Baby Luigi started crying, sharing the same opinion about Bomberman.

"Let's eh-go," Luigi said, bouncing up and down in an effort to satisfy his cargo.

Mario, Shadow, the Ice Climbers, and Ness agreed, and they stepped expectantly towards Metal Peach, although still tensed and ready for any sudden attacks. However, true to its word, the clone stepped aside and allowed them to enter the stairway. Trying not to look back, the eight remaining heroes ascended the stairs, and soon began to hear loud noises coming from the room they'd just left behind. It was hard for most of them to not stop and turn around and lend assistance, but they knew that every moment they spent here, fellow Nintendonians perished in order to allow them that time. So without stopping, they continued up the stairs to the next steel door, and went through it to the next floor.

It was another circular hallway, if slightly wider. It was so dark and silent, that it was almost worse than having enemies to expect as in any Zelda dungeon. Deciding to venture left, they walked down the gloomy curved hallway until finding a door on the inner wall. But Shadow twisted the knob and found it locked with a keyhole beneath it, so it followed that they would have to find the key (_Enough keys,_ both the Ice Climbers thought in annoyance). Always following the sparse light of the hand torches, they pressed on a bit further, the hallway always curving to the left, until it opened out into a larger room.

This room was also round in shape, but more of an oval than a circle. For the most part, it was the same as the hallways, with shadowy edges and a dark red carpet. But on the ground were traced 25 circles of some white chalk in an arrangement exactly the same as Melee's character selection screen. However, this was not how the intruders saw it until they advanced far enough into the room to turn right and see it clearly for themselves. They were arranged in perfect intervals and rows, and although simple in appearance, seemed to draw out such a sense of foreboding from Mario, Luigi, Ness, and the Ice Climbers, that they wanted nothing more than to run out of the room now and never come back. But somehow they could tell that the key they needed to obtain would be located somewhere in this room. And there was another important fact about the circles.

Four of them were covered up.

By four trophy stands, hosting four life-sized trophies of Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, and Captain Falcon. They were not next to each other, but were rather placed on the circles in the positions where they were on the character selection screen. This came partly as a shock, and partly as a relief to the heroes. As long as their fellows still existed at least as trophies, and were not completely destroyed, there was still hope of bringing them back.

But they were suddenly shaken out of their trance when the clinking of armor could be heard behind them. Turning around, they faced a tall, huge, ominous figure. He was covered with thick black armor, had a long red and black cape, wielded a massive sword with the point in the ground, and his head was covered entirely by a dark helmet inside which a face could not be seen—only blackness. He had an invisible aura of immense strength and power.

Hopefully you can infer by the number of times "black" and "dark" were used in the last paragraph that the being standing before them was the Black Knight, as would have been familiar to the likes of Marth, Roy, and Ike.

But in their terror at the sight of the Black Knight, they did not notice at first that he was standing on a Trophy Stand, and was just as rigid as all the other trophies. They soon realized this, but were perplexed at the oddity of hearing the clanking of the knight's armor when it could not move. He still had his aura of power even in immobility.

Then, as they gazed at it, a ring of blue light appeared and descended from the top of the Black Knight's helmet, around the entire figure, down to the bottom edge of the Trophy Stand. As it went, the colors of the knight's armor, cape, and sword became bolder and were given life. To prove it, he flexed his limbs and traced his heavy sword a few inches along the ground, before speaking in a very deep, commanding voice to the tensed heroes.

"Two must stay." Again, the same message as had been delivered on the 2nd floor. Now their party would become even smaller, but there seemed no way around it.

Popo and Nana nodded to each other and grasped each others' hands. "We will stay," they said in unison.

The Black Knight nodded, and then extended to Mario, in his left hand, a small key. Mario took it spitefully, having no desire to abandon yet another pair of their group.

"It's time to move on," Shadow said. And, almost as if they had no control over their own limbs, Mario, Luigi, and Ness followed Shadow back down the hallway, leaving the Ice Climbers, who showed no fear, brandishing their small wooden mallets which seemed pathetic in comparison to the broad, deadly blade. As they left towards the door, they could hear faintly the voice of the Black Knight conversing maliciously with his victims.

"Fools," he boomed. "My armor is blessed and protected by the power of the goddesses. No weapon can pierce me but one which is bestowed with the same power!"  
"That may be," Popo replied fearlessly, although he had every right to fear. "But at least our lives will allow our friends to stop the likes of you and Master Hand!"

The last thing those going on heard before ascending yet another flight of stairs was something that frightened them more than Metal Peach, more than the idea of the Ice Climbers having no chance of surviving.

"You think that I serve Master Hand by my own will?"

It was harder than ever to continue forward at that point, but their drive to succeed pushed them on, and they knew that sacrifices would have to be made.

This next staircase ascended straight instead of curving around, and when they reached the door at the top shortly thereafter, they thought that surely they must be near the top. The only sounds being those of their own plodding on the stone ground, the soft burning of the hand torches, and the faint din of fighting below them and outside the fortress, the six remaining heroes entered the 4th floor, chilled by the cool, musty air which they were breathing in. It was but a single largish room shaped like an octagon. On the opposite wall was another staircase going back down, and to their right was still another ascending staircase. This floor was filled, basically, with all kinds of technological junk and other obscure objects. There were broken down machines of every sort stacked in towering piles (most likely built by U. Reeka), blocking their view in several places. But this mess of contraptions was so unfamiliar to the heroes that they could hardly recognize or put a name to anything. One thing that stood out, however, as they approached the staircase, was a large rectangular box with deep imprints forming a shape of some importance. They saw several of these, actually, as they moved on and the silence continued.

"What are a-those?" Luigi wondered out loud.

Ness, who had been staring long and hard at these boxes as they walked, was wide-eyed. He seemed to have a good idea of what exactly they were. "I think…they're…_molds_. See, that one right there looks just like Donkey Kong's face…and _that_ one over there looks just like the front of Samus's Power Suit…"

No one said anything in response to this, but upon considering the boy's theory, it was evident that he was right. There were molds here, no doubt, for each of the Original 25, just as there had been a white circle on the floor below for each former participant. And the only things these molds could have been used to make, they realized, were copies of themselves. Clones. Metal clones. But, for some reason or other in Master Hand's scheming mind, only one had been made to rival each of them. They could only imagine what it would have been like if, instead of an army of Wire Frames, _all_ of Master Hand's forces had been built of solid iron. So why hadn't it been done?

Now they were close enough to the entrance to the rising stairway to see that, just like two floors below, their path of travel was obstructed by a metal figure. Only this one was taller than Metal Peach, and very broad-shouldered because it appeared to be wearing some sort of armored suit.

Metal Samus. Part of the handful of metal clones which had yet to be conquered.

The doppelganger was pointing its arm cannon directly at them, warning them not to move any closer. Those approaching stopped, and this time scrutinized their enemy closely enough to notice that Metal Samus, too, wore a Franklin Badge attached to the front. _I wonder how they got their hands on those…_ Ness thought.

Then, as before with Metal Peach, a mental message was sent in a tone that was harsh and metallic. _Two must stay_.

The six heroes had expected this, but still thought grimly of the increased risk of their endeavor now that their group was nearly all split up. Mario and Luigi, piggybacking their infant selves, knew they could not leave behind the Babies to face Metal Samus alone, nor could they send them onward without knowing what perils awaited beyond. But Ness and Samus shared a deep look of simultaneous comprehension, and nodded to each other.

"We will stay," Shadow said with both patience and confidence as he and Ness stepped away from the icons of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Metal Samus appeared to nod, and arched up its arm/gun as it stepped back to allow the Marios and Luigis to pass. They looked back, hesitating at the thought of losing even more companions, but then turned away and proceeded upwards.

"Don't worry, kid," Shadow muttered to Ness as they prepared for combat. "You and I are both powerful of mind and will. We can find a way around that reflector…"

"Yes," Ness said, although he was quivering while he said it. "I know we can."

Now Mario and Luigi had climbed to the 5th and highest floor of the fortress. If there had been windows, they would have been able to look down at the table far below where the hundreds of soldiers were still being oppressed by the Space Pirates, and everywhere else in the room, more Space Pirates assaulting the Nintendonians from various locations—even from behind the trash can and inside the computer monitor. But the fact that they couldn't see any of this only made their task feel more important and emergent when they had no way of knowing how quickly their side was losing numbers.

Luigi had a thought. "Mario, what if this is a trap?"

Mario stopped temporarily and turned to his brother. "Then we a-face it together."

At last they pulled open the door at the end of the staircase, expecting perhaps Crazy Hand, or even worse, Master Hand.

But while the top floor of the fortress was indeed the common residence of the two Hands, the rectangular room inside revealed no giant white gloves to be found. This was the room with the huge map of the Nintendo World stretched across one of the walls, with certain areas crossed out or circled, and lines drawn through them. This was what the Marios and Luigis now faced. Also, in contrast to the rest of the dark gloomy fortress, this room at least was well lit with bright ceiling lights, and instead of cold stone walls, they were smooth, sleek, and painted in a way that made it look somewhat like a classroom. There was another door was to the right of the giant map. Several tables and chairs were placed throughout the room (though for what use the chairs were to Master Hand, it is impossible to guess), and on top of them were dozens, even hundreds of papers in stacks with all sorts of information which Mario and Luigi did not have time to read. For their attention (including the now-awake Babies) was focused on two figures facing the map on the other side of the room.

One was about as tall as Mario, but thinner than Luigi; they could see from behind that he wore a brown cap and shirt with yellow overalls. The other was over seven feet tall, extremely thick and muscular, and wore orange overalls with a blue shirt and cap. If Wario and Waluigi had been there they could have warned the Mario Bros. about the danger of these two, but alas, they were instead currently being used as cover for Fox from a Space Pirate's plasma gun.

After several seconds of silence as Mario and Luigi stood frozen in place at the entryway, the Mario-sized one spoke in a very non-Mario-like accent. "Ah, so our heroic guests have arrived at last. We were beginning to think the four of you would never show up, but fortunately you have not disappointed us—or Master Hand. You see, it was him who set in place this entire encounter; he ensured that by the time anyone reached the top of the fortress, only the legendary champions of the Mushroom Kingdom would be present. And that is from where you hail…is it not?" With that, the Lario Bros. turned around to face their predestined rivals—although Mauluigi, not being the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, was delayed a second or two before remembering he was supposed to follow his brother's lead.

Lario smiled as he twirled his fancy curled mustache with his finger. "I am Lario, and this is my companion Mauluigi. A pleasure meeting you, I'm sure. We are two of Master Hand's most marvelous creations, brought into this world for the sole purpose of defeating you. I'm sure you've had a delightful journey filled with wonderful adventures, but unfortunately, Superstars…this is where your adventure ends!"

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them. Mario and Luigi whipped around to see Metal Mario and Luigi, standing in front of the door immovably. And when they turned back around, Mauluigi was gripping a small remote control on which his chubby thumb was pressing a big red button. And the ground below them began to glow.

The Mario Bros. looked down in panic and saw they were standing on two glowing white hands, the same which had turned Wario, Waluigi, and Sonic into trophies. But their shoes seemed to be magnetized to the spot; it was all over…

An abrupt explosion burst through the wall on the left side. Pieces of debris, both large and tiny, flew everywhere. A table slammed top-first into the Marios and Luigis, knocking them off the white hands on the floor, which created a blinding flash and disappeared, leaving a Table Trophy. A hovering figure in a red cloak with a jetpack helmet burst into the room through the large hole which had been formed, cackling with vengeance.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Fawful laughed manically. "At last I have found you, Red and Green! The long journey here was akin to a metaphorical ice cream sundae, each layer filled with delectably innocent victims, which were delicious! But now I have reached what I have come for, what I have craved the most: the cherry on top! The cherry of inexorable requital! For in the last moments of the finale of the finale, as I, Fawful, have previously declared, negligence begets rashness…that is when I will end your worthless lives, which are as worthless as an expired packet of taco sauce…that is of no worth! And I will smear and laugh upon anyone who stands near, around, or behind my way…My diabolical, ingenious way of evil! And now, to the fighting! I HAVE FURY!"

Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi looked about themselves: Lario, Mauluigi, Metal Mario, and Metal Luigi all against them, and Fawful against…everyone. The stakes were high, the location precarious. This would be one heck of a battle.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** (Master Hand's Room) Marth, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Krystal, Wolf, Leon, Panther

**Heroes:** (Fortress) Bomberman, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Heroes:** (Battlefields) Link, Young Link, Zelda, Peppy

**Villains: (known)** Space Pirates, Mother Brain, Kraid, Lario, Mauluigi, Fawful

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona


	46. Chapter 16:6: Mario Mania

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{6} Mario Mania**

A gust of green wind swirled next to the fallen Link. Zelda stepped out of the gust and rushed up to kneel down next to the hero. She felt his pulse, but it was gone.

"Link…" Rushes of blue magic surged through Zelda's arms and hands into Link's body, but after all her efforts, were still unable to arouse him. The Hero of Time was really gone. Tears began to stream down the princess's face.

That same Link who had been separated from his mother at birth, and left to the care of the Great Deku Tree. The same Link who had wandered into her courtyard, quiet but charming, and found her watching the sociopathic deceitfulness of Ganondorf before the King. That same Link who had traversed across Hyrule as a boy, slaying gruesome monsters, in order to fulfill the quest set upon him by herself seven years ago. The same Link who had drawn out the legendary Master Sword, restored the Six Sages, and brought peace to the land of Hyrule. And now, he was dead.

Zelda saw nearby what was left of Epona, and looked across where the nearest fighting was taking place to see Young Link slashing ceaselessly next to a rhinoceros. She looked back down on Link, the setting sun shining on his brave face. Her magic wasn't strong enough to bring him back. _Her_ magic. And Zelda feared also that with one or more of the Original 25 struck down, victory against Master Hand would be impossible, in accordance with the prophecy.

The Triforce may not be strong enough to defeat Master Hand, but it could at least see to allowing them all a chance; just one, that was all they could ask for.

Princess Zelda raised her left hand and looked to the yellowish-orange sky. The Triforce of Wisdom glowed on the back of her hand. Ganondorf had never known, not even Link had fully understood the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. For as long as she still possessed it, it could call upon the power of the goddesses to draw the other two together. So as she did this, the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Power glowed on the hands of Link and Ganondorf, and the two golden triangles, rotating slowly, left their hosts, and shot towards each other from across the Battlefields, becoming blurs of sparkling light. They joined together with a white flash above her, and it was then she allowed her own Triforce piece to join them. Once the golden triangle had left her hand and connected with the two above, the completed Triforce continued to rotate and shine in the air. Zelda then poured out all her energy, all her magic, and all her love into the Triforce, and prayed with all her heart that the power source would grant her wish: to have a chance.

The Triforce flashed in response, and then suddenly the three golden pieces split, and sped back to their respective hosts. Zelda gave a gasp of air as she regained the Triforce of Wisdom, and then watched as the other two, instead of simply being gold, glowed white and blue as they reentered the dead bodies of Link and Ganondorf. At first, nothing appeared to happen. But then, Link's eyes opened slowly, and he began moving his hands and feet. Miles away, Ganondorf did the same.

Without even thinking, Zelda knelt down and hugged Link, grateful to the goddesses for the chance they'd been given—for Link and Ganondorf, a second chance. She helped him stand up, realizing that in addition to the Hero of Time, their sworn enemy had also been revived. But somehow she knew it was a necessary price.

Link shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "What…happened? Metal Link…Epona…EPONA!" The young man looked around for his horse, but found only a sad skeleton of his former steed. He saw it, and was silent, not even awake enough to notice the significance of Zelda's presence.

"I'm sorry, Link," Zelda said sadly and sincerely. "There was nothing I could do for her…and now, my magic is gone, for a long time if not forever. It took every ounce of power I had to bring you and Ganondorf back. But it is not for us, I feel, to return to the fortress or the room. Now all we can do is join your younger self and put all our stakes on Mario and the others…"

Link was deep in thought, recollecting old memories of his adventures with Epona. He remembered first meeting the deep chestnut-colored horse in Lon-Lon Ranch, where from the beginning she had seemed to trust him. And then, seven years later, he had returned and won her by racing the corrupted Ingo, and they had escaped together by leaping over the corral gate. And so helpful she had been in traveling to and fro across Hyrule Field and defeating certain enemies, he could never forget Epona's sweet whinny and sleek mane, and fierce, noble eyes. It was only after paying silent tribute to his loyal horse for a good long while before he had room to consider the fact that he'd been brought back to life by the one whom he'd usually be saving.

He turned to Zelda. "…Thank you, princess. I would not be able to avenge Epona and myself if not for you. But now…" He threw the Biggoron Sword aside and drew the shining Master Sword. "…I must make sure the younger me doesn't suffer the same agonies for himself and his animal friend as I have for mine." He rushed forward.

Meanwhile, the King of Evil stood once more, glad to see his metal opponent vanquished, but still thirsty to take out his rage and pain on others. He knew not how he had been revived, but now all that mattered was making the most of it. With a cry, Ganondorf drew his huge, heavy blade infused with dark powers, and did the same as his green-clad nemesis.

...

The Ice Climbers panted with fatigue as they faced the Black Knight again in the dark elliptical room.

"What are we going to do, Popo?" Nana asked her climbing partner.

"Well, we have two options," Popo replied, still not afraid of their opponent. "We could distract him as long as possible and then be killed, _or_ we could find a way to defeat him."

"How could we do that?" Nana thought the situation hopeless.

"Fools, your doom is nigh!" The Black Knight bellowed.

Popo ignored this. He only smiled at his twin sister. "By taking advantage of our resources." The blue Ice Climber reached into his parka and took out a familiar object which they had both nearly forgotten: the Pencil.

...

All at once, the situation was thrown into intense action. Fawful fired a green capsule-shaped laser while the Lario Bros. and Metal Mario Bros. all dived toward the same target: Mario and Luigi. But at the very last moment, the two heroes, with the Babies secured tightly to their backs, leapt backwards into the air, flipping and landing smoothly near the descending stairs. In the midst of the commotion, Mario and Luigi methodically curled together into a red and green ball, and Baby Mario whacked it squarely with his hammer. The spinning ball bounced off each of the villains in turn, Lario, Mauluigi, Metal Mario, Metal Luigi, and Fawful, knocking them down or at least temporarily stunning them, and rolled out the open door adjacent to the wall map (the door was broken by Fawful's entrance). The Babies dashed past and followed their matured selves swiftly, bouncing with each step.

The round red and green blur found itself facing a sheer drop-off without railing, and beyond it the unfolding of the battle with the Space Pirates. From this high point, several hundred feet above the tabletop, they had a decent view of the entirety of Master Hand's Room, and all the specks upon the table or around the room, and even Kraid and Mother Brain, seemed an insignificant part of the background compared to the perilous enemies behind them. To each side was an ascending staircase going around the Fortress and disappearing into the edge of the wall. This being their only path, the Bros. Ball awaited the Babies, who, as a matter of improvisation and keeping together, jumped on top of the ball and began rolling it unsteadily up the stairs. Each step, as a rule for video games, had a bizarrely little impact on their path of travel, and they rolled smoothly up the left staircase as if it was as flat as a ramp. Logistics aside, the Ball rolled around the curving side of the fortress, the top battlements above them drawing closer and closer as they went. There was a certain sense of heightened panic and their hearts were pounding as, finally, they reached the top of the staircase on the opposite end of the fortress. Now being level with the top, they found an open arch of stone on their left connected to the curving merlons on each side which encircled the rooftop. Without hesitation, the circus-like spectacle of the Babies rolling the Bros. Ball passed through the arch and halted in the middle of the circular roof. Mario and Luigi untwined themselves, stood, and turned slightly dizzily towards the gap in the battlements.

It was not a long wait before they heard another explosion that vibrated the entire fortress. A few seconds later, the Metal Mario Bros, clanging with each footstep, rushed up the stairs and faced them. From the other side, Fawful hovered over the battlements using his jetpack helmet, and the Lario Bros, using some sort of cooperative wall-jumping technique, had managed to use the wall of the fortress to propel themselves over the side as well. They were surrounded again.

"I say, dear fellows, prepare to suffer!" Lario twirled his mustache for a moment and then returned to a fighting stance.

The four Italians, now back in piggyback pairs, looked at each other, and nodded. Then, simultaneously…

"_HERE WE GO!"_

The events that followed were not much more than a blur. All four heroes raised up Copy Flowers, and instantly multitudes of each Mario and Luigi poured out from their originators. Then, Bros. items were flung out everywhere from the center, and pretty soon the mass of Marios and Luigis was raging with scrambled attacks directed at their enemies. Green and Red Shells skidded around with an occasional Baby riding it. Fireballs, Iceballs, and Smash Eggs concentrated towards the airborne Fawful. Copies bounced off of Trampolines and shot out of Cannons in order to attempt to land on the Lario Bros. Barking Chain Chomps dragged Copies across the rooftop, scraping against the battlements and sniffing out their few opponents hungrily. Several clusters of Copies began to continually feed Fireballs to huge sun-like balls of flames called Mix Flowers. It was red and green chaos, and for a while, the heroes could not see how their enemies were handling it.

But then, the sky began to glow, and an enormous blast of blue energy disintegrated all the jumping Copies. "I HAVE FURY!" Fawful screamed as he blasted Marios and Luigis into oblivion. Meanwhile, the Metal Mario Bros. executed repetitive spin attacks, knocking aside everything in their way—Copies, shells, and Chain Chomps alike. And the Lario Bros. were performing stunning cooperative maneuvers which surprised and dazzled even the original heroes. Mauluigi served as the base or powerhouse for most of these dramatic attacks, while Lario acted as the light, speedy component of the duo. Even the famous Mario and Luigi had to admit they made a great team.

In a matter of minutes, much to the Marios' and Luigis' dismay, most of the Copies were destroyed. Only a few remained, obliviously continuing to feed to a single Mix Flower. And the heroes watched as these too were soon gone. However, they had just enough time to dive out of the way, for the fiery result of the Mix Flower, without the Copies to hold it up, was swiftly descending towards the top of the fortress. The Lario Bros. and Fawful quickly moved out of the way, but the Metal Mario Bros. seemed to be caught in the giant red ball's path with their weight now working against them. The two trudged, far too slowly, away from the huge shadow narrowing in on them, but it appeared obvious that they weren't going to make it. Then, unexpectedly, Metal Luigi grabbed its iron brother by the feet and began swinging it around, finally flinging Metal Mario a safe distance away. The Mix Flower made contact with the fortress and burst apart, consuming Metal Luigi and leaving a giant scorch mark in the middle of the flat rooftop.

This left the original party still intact, except for Metal Mario's companion. The clone, although incapable of emotions, appeared infuriated by the loss of its partner. It, along with the Lario Bros. and Fawful, proceeded to face the Marios and Luigis once more, who were near one of the edges.

Mario smiled, knowing that the special badges they all carried allowed them an unlimited amount of Bros. Items. "Well, let's a-try that again." He and the other three began to reach for another Copy Flower, but they were abruptly interrupted.

Lario, his mustache singed off on one side and therefore enraged as well, saw what they were trying to do. "Oh, bother! Mauluigi, do be a mate and confiscate those unfair badges."

The bulky Mauluigi only grunted in reply, but complied by pulling out (from who-knows-where) a humungous magnet with red and blue tips. He pointed the metal-attracting device at the Mario Bros. and activated it. They gasped as four small shiny badges flew off of their blue trousers and stuck onto the edges of the magnet. The Copy Flowers in their hands vanished with a puff of white smoke along with the rest of their Bros. Items. Mauluigi took the badges in his fist (which was the size of a platter) and crushed them into dust, spreading the particles with his feet with a deep childish snicker. Everyone remained relatively still, Fawful pointing his helmet gun at everyone, waiting for something to happen, Metal Mario just glaring at its targets.

"Now," Lario spoke in a soft, dangerously calm voice, "we've had enough games, haven't we, Mario? It would seem that the time has arrived for us to pull out one of _our_ gadget cheats, don't you think? I believe you will find this object very familiar…" The half-mustachioed hireling drew out a glowing yellow object which was nothing less than the Superstar, part of the Power of the Dimensions.

Mario and Luigi cried out. "Oh no!"

"Oh, yes, I say!" Lario laughed (and one can, with some effort, imagine what laughing sounds like for someone with an accent like his). "Ironic, isn't it, that you are to be finished by one of the very powers which have marked your history, one of the very powers you left to find! This has, unfortunately, gone on long enough to satisfy my tastes. So, in the name of the almighty Master Hand, I say, _GOODBYE, MARIO BROS!"_

With that, Lario squeezed the Superstar in his gloved hand, and was covered with shining gold light, sparkling and shimmering around him. His eyes glowed with great energy, but somehow, that energy seemed…artificial. No real life could be perceived to lie behind those eyes, only the driving will of an uncompromising master. As he was supercharged, he also drew out—not a hammer—but a baseball bat. Mauluigi now had one too, except his was thicker and heavier like a club. The Lario Bros. charged forward, one of them invincible.

Meeting their strikes were two Ultra Hammers, wielded by the stars of the Mushroom Kingdom. The Babies had disembarked from their older selves' backs, and were now hobbling away from the grown-up clash. Sneaking low near the stone ground, they crawled furtively onto the top of the battlement underneath the unsuspecting Fawful. With an infantile cheer, they demonstrated surprisingly well-developed jumping skills (they would grow to become some of the greatest jumpers of all time, after all) by leaping up and grabbing onto the Toady's red cloak. Upon recognition of his hitchhikers, Fawful was dragged down slightly by the Babies' combined 15 pound weight, and immediately pulled up and began flailing and writhing through the air blindly, shouting, "Fink-rats! What stale, bitter morsels have penetrated the perfect creaminess of my ice cream sundae of revenge? Abandon your spoilage, tiny Red and Green, or risk being consumed by my silver spoon of pitiless wrath! I HAVE FURY!"

In the meantime, Metal Mario, for reasons unknown, did not join the brawl, but simply contented itself to watch the climactic conflict between the two pairs of brothers. Bat clashed against hammer. Figures leapt, dodged, spun, and kicked. Lario proved to be even more physically weak than Luigi, but due to his slippery guile and elusive agility (not to mention the fact that he was glittering with invincibility), this one weakness was well made up for. And Mauluigi was another story entirely, being several times stronger than either of the Mario Bros. Teamwork played a part on each pair's strategies, utilizing each other to add more force to their attacks. Mario and Luigi did all they could to avoid Lario, knowing they couldn't harm him, and focused their combined efforts on Mauluigi. Several times they were able to knock him back, but never seemed to inflict any serious damage on the immense adversary. At one point they even began to use red and green Fireballs; however, they had no effect on Lario, and Mauluigi looked like he would have felt more pain from a bug bite. In response to this change of tactic, Lario and Mauluigi retaliated with (to the Mario Bros.' extreme irritation) fireballs of their own, colored blue and brown to match their hats. The skills of both sides were so exemplary that, for quite some time, little harm was caused.

But it was too late when Mario and Luigi finally caught on to the Lario Bros.' real strategy. All this time, bit by bit, the two brothers had been pushed towards the edge of the fortress. Although it was guarded by the battlements, the crenels were low and wide enough that either one of them could potentially be pushed through it. Both of them tried to avoid being cornered, but the point of no escape had passed. The heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom braced themselves for the fall, closing their eyes. And they weren't disappointed. But instead of feeling the pain of the Lario Bros.' baseball bats, they felt the bodies of Lario and Mauluigi themselves crashing upon them with great force. It wasn't until the four of them were all free-falling when Mario and Luigi had a chance to look back up at the shrinking battlements and see the reflective head of Metal Mario peering over the edge. And as they fell, panicking, it registered somewhere in their minds that the metal clone must have pushed _all four_ of them over the edge. Why? Well, they had no time to wonder about that at the moment.

What could have been an awe-inspiring aerial fight turned out to be just a pathetic tumble down the side of the fortress, Mario and Luigi hollering while the other two were silent. Suddenly, a huge pink beam zoomed at them from the broken computer monitor. Despite the Bounty Hunters distracting it, Mother Brain was still as dangerous as ever, for every missed shot continued far beyond into a chance target. And one of the four were nailed by this pink beam, the force of which pushed him all the way across the room, so far away he could only be seen as a minuscule speck in the distance. The fact that Lario didn't disintegrate, however, proved that the Superstar was still in effect.

Mario and Luigi looked around and realized, somehow, that they were the only ones still falling. Luigi gulped and looked at his brother. "Well…it's a-been nice a-knowing, you, Mario…"

"Same a-here, Luigi." Mario smiled beneath his lush mustache. The two brothers grabbed onto each other, and, closing their eyes once more, awaited their end.

But instead of the hard, unforgiving, and probably fatal tabletop which they had expected to land on, instead the world around them seemed to suddenly grow very dark—purplish dark—for a moment, and an unearthly chill crawled up their necks. A strange yet familiar sound, like the sound a drinking straw makes when moved up and down a lid except much smoother and more musical, was heard as soon as they arrived in the dark place. Then, suddenly, they were standing on top of stone, and the light seemed to have returned from beyond their closed eyelids. Perplexed, Mario and Luigi slowly opened their eyes, still hugging one another for dear life, and found themselves in what seemed the least likely of all places: back on the top of the fortress.

On the ground was Fawful, shouting out random metaphorical phrases of revenge and pain, laying on his back while Baby Mario and Baby Luigi laughed and giggled as they took turns smacking him with their hammers. Metal Mario had mysteriously vanished from the rooftop. And, soon after the Mario Bros. had stabilized themselves on the appreciated solid ground, three dark purple figures rose from the stone like shadows transferring from the ground to a wall. The Shadow Sirens grinned at them, Vivian staring at Mario dreamily.

Beldam broke the silence. "Heh…looks like you almost took quite the nasty fall, didn't you, Mario?"

Marilyn gave some input. "Ughh….I mean…I'm hungry."

Vivian slunk toward Mario shyly like a shadow, holding her wrist, and stopped a few feet away. "Mario! It's…um…I mean, it's wonderful to see you again. It was a good thing we came here at this exact time, isn't it! I'm so glad you're safe, Mario…and you too, Luigi," she added as an afterthought, not wanting to be appearing to single the red plumber out. Luigi just nodded, used to being the afterthought.

Before Mario could say anything, however, a heavy grinding, scraping sound could be heard from down the sheer wall of Master Hand's Fortress. Leaving the Babies to their game, the five of them hurried over to the edge and glanced over the side. They jumped backwards almost immediately, for they had viewed a scene similar to but even more frightening than King Kong. Mauluigi, hat missing and face sweating drops of pure anger, was digging his fingers and feet into the wall of the fortress, clinging onto it like a leech, and climbing up with terrifying ease and speed. His enormous muscles bulged, and at the sight of them, he let out a roar of both mourning for his brother and a vow of vengeance. Not long had they backed away before one plate-sized hand followed by another gripped the battlements and pulled their furious, crazed host over the side. Mauluigi's size 25 shoes crashed onto the rooftop, and the bulky enemy twisted one fist in the palm of his other gloved hand, ready to smash some heads.

At the same time, Fawful, apparently feigning unconsciousness, suddenly threw both Babies off of him with a wild yell and rose back into the air, ready to unleash every last bit of fury he had left in his being—which was a lot.

"This isn't over just a-yet," Mario said grimly.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** (Master Hand's Room) Marth, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Krystal, Wolf, Leon, Panther

**Heroes:** (Fortress) Bomberman, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Heroes:** (Battlefields) Link, Young Link, Zelda, Peppy

**Villains: (known)** Space Pirates, Mother Brain, Kraid, Mauluigi, Fawful

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Lario


	47. Chapter 16:7: Fawful's Revenge

**Chapter 16: The Fortress**

**{7} Fawful's Revenge**

Lario sailed through the open space of Master Hand's room, several hundred feet above the ground, and yet perfectly calm as he began to tilt down in the direction of the giant mouse hole. For he knew that as long as he had the power of the Superstar to serve him, he was invincible; nothing could hurt him, not even an attack from Mother Brain or a fall like this. He began to descend faster and faster, his brown hat whipping off to his great annoyance, and suddenly landed on his feet—unstably, but firmly.

But he soon noticed that something was quite wrong. For he had stopped falling sooner than he had expected, and could see a red-haired swordsman 65 feet below staring at him. He looked down.

In a very much Captain Hook-esque position, Lario's slim legs were spread apart about two feet, residing each on the upper and lower jaw of Kraid. The creature's mouth was tilted upward, appearing as if it had tried to catch Lario in his mouth on the fly, completely ignoring the bounty hunter and swordsman trying to slaughter him. But the skinny half-mustachioed minion of Master Hand was still glowing and sparkling with the energy of the Superstar, and his footing, while precarious, seemed to be doing well in holding Kraid's mouth in place. It pawed up at him with its long, razor-sharp claws, but its arms were too short to reach him.

Lario laughed gaily. "My apologies, distinguished monster, but I'm afraid I am neither fit nor capable of being consumed right now, as it were. As long as I am basking in this effulgent glow of golden puissance, no creature of the acidic depths or hero of nobleness can harm me! So I'll thank you kindly to put me down gently or else risk having your internal organs rearranged."

That, of course, was when the Superstar's energy ran out. Lario was suddenly nothing more or less than Lario, and Kraid noticed it hungrily. Lario had not done his homework on the function of Stars in _Super Mario Bros._

Lario looked down at himself, abruptly feeling a lot less confident. "Oh, buggar…" With a crocodile-like plunge, Kraid snapped his gaping mouth clear around the Italian with a British accent and swallowed him whole. It then proceeded to pat its stomach with carnivorous satisfaction and burp so loudly that a huge rush of wind pushed all flying aircrafts temporarily out of control, and even sent a Space Pirate toppling over the edge of the table, screaming.

…

"PANTHER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Wolf and Leon barrel rolled out of the way as the Black Rose, a sickly bluish-purple color, came charging at its own teammates. The cover of the cockpit was shrouded in black and purple so they couldn't see Panther Caruso inside. It fired blue lasers, not at the enemy Space Pirates, but at the other two members of Team Star Wolf, who just barely dodged them. Finally, it stopped in the air and allowed Wolf and Leon to turn around and face it.

A voice finally came over their speakers; but it was not the Panther they knew. The voice was slow, distorted, very low, and overlapped with a buzzing, alien tone. "Obey…must obey…Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski, you must surrender…there is no hope…we will dominate all inferior life forms on this planet…the great being, Master Hand, has revived us to fulfill his purposes…do not resist...your bodies will be spared and only your minds destroyed if you give up…otherwise, your Resistance will be completely destroyed without mercy…" But then, the voice changed. The overlapping part of the voice was gone, and it sounded more like the Panther they knew—but it was faint, very faint. "Wolf…Leon…I…have failed you all…it took me…please…have mercy…destroy me…before I…"

Wolf stared at his companion with immeasurable worry. Ever since Panther's Black Rose had tilted slightly before they entered the room, something had been wrong with the black cat. Then, he realized what must have happened: the tilting, Panther's strange behavior, the discolored Wolfen, it explained everything.

Unbeknownst to them, there must have been one last Aparoid left back in the Battlefields which landed softly onto the Black Rose. Before it had been thrown off by high speeds, it must have corrupted enough of the ship to also entrap Panther with its mind-devouring parasitic force. And now, the Aparoid had seized control of the entire craft, along with the pilot inside it.

But Wolf wouldn't give in. "Graaaaaargh! We'll never submit to you, space scum! Panther, we can get you out of there! Just hold tight! McCloud and his team rescued General Pepper from the Aparoids' control, and it's no different with you!" The canine began to think of how to get Panther out of that Wolfen.

"It's…too late, comrade," Panther's voice was so soft that it wasn't much more than a purr. "Look at me…" At these words, the hatch on the Black Rose opened. The cockpit was completely enveloped in the purple, gooey substance of the Aparoids. The only visible parts of its pilot were the arms and feline head. And even those parts were being sucked at greedily by the throbbing mass of reddish-purple. "I…am finished…destroy me…make sure Krystal is safe…" The black-furred face smiled grimly as it disappeared into the parasitic substance.

_"Panther, NO!" _Wolf accelerated his Wolfen toward the hovering Black Rose. But it suddenly snapped into motion, and fired two heavy shots which blasted off both his wings, making it difficult for him to even remain airborne. "I won't attack a teammate, even in your state, Panther!"

Leon's voice came over his speaker as Wolf struggled to keep the Wolfen aloft. For the first time, the chameleon's voice was no longer snide, just completely uncharacteristically serious. "Wolf, you must destroy it. Panther is gone. Remember the advice you once gave McCloud…"

Wolf did remember it. Way back when, where the Aparoids still terrorized the Lylat System in large numbers, he had come to Fox's aid in Corneria. As he left, Wolf clearly remembered what he had told his rival.

_"A word of advice, Fox. When the time comes, don't hesitate. Just act."_

But he couldn't do it. After all the Star Wolf Team had been through, he couldn't live his own advice flawlessly. Panther had become like a brother to him, like Leon (Andrew Oikonny and Pigma Dengar never did develop a very good relationship with him). Even if his friend's mind was gone, he would rather be destroyed by him than destroy.

He didn't move as the Black Rose closed in to finish him off. He closed his eyes, content to join his fallen companion…

"Fine, then. I'll do it." A fully-charged shot blasted from the Rainbow Delta and collided with the Black Rose. It exploded with, in addition to normal explosion sounds, what seemed like a shrill screech that died away with the last of the Aparoids, echoing not only throughout Master Hand's Room, but through the Battlefields as well. Leon's ship caught the critically damaged Wolfen from beneath and began to fly towards an empty shelf.

"Let's get you to safety, Wolf."

Wolf said nothing.

…

Tails, Knuckles, and Amy rushed into the dark room filled with U. Reeka's seemingly useless junk. "Shadow!" Amy called. "We're here to help!" In the end, even the three of them decided that despite their extreme weariness, they ought to pitch in whatever help they could offer.

In the center of the heaping piles of technological equipment, Metal Samus was holding up a struggling Ness with its literally iron grip. It pointed its glowing arm cannon at the boy's head and prepared to fire.

A large stone boulder, torn from the ground by Knuckles, smashed Metal Samus into the ground, which was forced to relinquish its hold on Ness's shirt. Sonic's friends hurried up to Ness. Amy put an arm comfortingly around him. "Are you alright, kid? Where's Shadow?"

But Ness just shook his head, on the verge of tears, and pointed to a smoking mass behind him.

Amy, Tails, and Knuckles's eyes widened in disbelief, but they had no time to question Ness further before the huge boulder Knuckles had thrown shifted, and then was thrown clean off as Metal Samus stood once more, its sleek helmet visor shining.

…

The Marios and Luigis ran in circles inside the battlements, jumping to dodge the spinning blue capsule-shaped laser pellets being fired at them by the rampaging Fawful. In between the two older heroes, Mauluigi was also forced to flee from the projectiles, but it was by no means a friendly sprint. Mario kept pushing into Mauluigi in an attempt to knock him back into the line of fire, while the Babies reached out of their piggyback positions to smack Mauluigi's rock-hard muscles with their hammers. The bulky figure, however, seemed too busy running on his legs of near tree trunk thickness to pay any heed to these feeble attempts. The Shadow Sirens, meanwhile, were hurling streams of purple flames at Fawful from the center, who seemed to have a scarily little amount of trouble dodging these. Whenever he bothered to fire a few lasers at them, the Shadow Sirens quickly disappeared into the ground until the coast was clear. This circulating pattern continued for as long as one would imagine such a scene would last in a game such as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

But Mauluigi, although one who could bench-press 600 pounds, was no long-distance runner. Sweating like a pig, he finally became fed up with this endless, fruitless cycle. With just one of what felt to him the lightest of pushes, he shoved Luigi hard into the battlement wall, knocking him and Baby Luigi out cold.

"Luigi!" Mario cried. He began to stop and turn around to rush to the aid of his brother, but as a result, a blue laser scorched the ground not three inches away from his toes. He was forced to resume the pursuit. The Shadow Sirens still fired jets of purple flames up at their enemy, but to no avail.

However, in Mauluigi's driving moment, he let down his guard. Fawful, cackling all the while, swiftly took advantage of this and knocked the mauler down with a single laser pellet. Mario and Baby Mario stopped and watched in absolute horror as the evil bean fell upon his prey with a ceaseless, pitiless barrage of lasers. The blue beams fell in such rapid succession that Mauluigi could not even be seen in the blur of blueness, each blast generating loud, blaring laser sounds and small, nasty-sounding explosions upon contact. Fawful ceased fire, revealing a groaning, resentful Mauluigi still remaining below immovably. But the airborne sidekick wasn't finished.

"Ha ha ha! Feel the fullness of my indiscriminate wrath, foolish man of muscles!" From the mouth-like nozzle attached to Fawful's helmet came a huge, green glow. Then, as it finished charging, the late Cackletta's underling unleashed a giant, rapid green laser of massive proportions into Mauluigi, consuming Master Hand's apparent creation completely in the disintegrating energy. The jet blazed on for several long, dreadful seconds, flashing before the Marios' and Shadow Sirens' eyes, and finally narrowed and finished, leaving billows of black smoke and a wide scorched spot on the rooftop.

And nothing else.

Mauluigi was destroyed. The Lario Bros. were no more.

"Mama mia…" While normally, this would have worked in the heroes' favor, it seemed insignificant due to the looming feeling that their turn had come to face the same end. Mario was both terrified by Fawful's newfound power and sickened by the twisted pleasure with which their enemy had done it.

Fawful turned to Mario and Baby Mario. "Now…Red…tiny Red…your turn! May your dauntless persistence irk me nevermore! Ha ha ha ha ha!" His weapon glowed dangerously green once more, and before the Marios had hardly realized what was happening, the Green Death (as it is rumored Fawful calls it) was coming their way. Again, they felt the end of their existence approaching as rapidly as this final blast. But just when they were about to die the same way as Mauluigi, a slender shadow dived in front of the surging green light, bringing with it a wall of purple flames, and somehow took it all in. The attack dissipated, and the wall of flames vanished as the shadow crumpled limply onto the ground, still wearing a red-and-white striped witch's hat.

"Oh no!" Mario ran up to and knelt beside the fallen Vivian, who was barely breathing. "Vivian!" Baby Mario tried to quench his fright by sucking his thumb, but with no success, and began bawling loudly and openly.

The rosy cheeks were deathly pale, but she still had a cute, faint smile as she reached up and grasped Mario's hand gently. The softness of her voice only made it all the sweeter. "Mario…I…love…" And that was the end.

Mario, Beldam, and Marilyn were silent as up above, Fawful, with his emotionless indifference, invoked a new strategy. "Well," he said smugly with the widest possible grin showing his cheesy, malicious teeth, "I _could_ simply let you Fink-Rats die for each other, one by one, but what fun would that bring? How much more tortuously agonizing will it be to you unintelligent cockroaches when I extirpate Red's partner in crime, _GREEN_, FIRST!" Fawful cackled again, and began charging another dose of Green Death—but this time, he turned and pointed it at the unconscious Luigis.

Mario and the others, out of shock and grief, simply had no will left to fight, even at the peril of another of their number's life. They gazed despondently as Luigi and Baby Luigi were about to become the next casualties in this war, like the many before them.

A blurred figure suddenly rose above the battlements in a gravity-defying leap, raised a long, glinting sword (don't ask where the glint came from), and stabbed it squarely through the green bean. It then slashed at the helmet jetpack, breaking it in two. Fawful's eyes froze in their thirst for vengeance, and suddenly went blank, although the mouth was still stretched in a haunting smile. The embodiment of lethal insanity collapsed to the ground, his face scarier than any sinister clown one can imagine.

Marth landed gruffly onto the scorched stone (almost the entire rooftop had been scorched by _something _by this point) and sheathed his sword. He turned to Mario, noble but grim. "That was close."

But before anyone could further contemplate anything that had just happened, a great rumbling occurred. By great, it is meant that the entirety of Master Hand's Room, the Battlefields, and all the regions throughout the Nintendo world were shaking violently. As evening set, the purple in the skies deepened unnaturally, and clouds spread apart into nothing, revealing a sort of violet galactic view. A great sense of suspense and apprehension, as well as dread, rose throughout the land. Everyone who was anyone could tell that something very important was about to happen.

The Battlefields continued to throb with the clamor of battle, for the Wire Frames had no mind to fear with. The Alliance pressed on, unable to ignore the change in atmosphere, but having no other choice than to keep fighting. King Dedede and his troops halted in their cowardly tracks and looked above them, sensing there was no escaping what fate had in store for them.

Back inside the room, all fighting suddenly desisted at the disturbing shaking. Even the Space Pirates stopped their raging, fearing their master above everything else. The rumbling was the only sound for a number of minutes, and ceased instantly. Complete silence reigned throughout the expansive room: not a single sword was lifted, nor a single gun fired. This silence sent a creeping chill up the spines of every occupant of that room, ominously instilling indescribable trepidation within each and every living being present.

With much dramatic theatricality, while at the same time horrifyingly realistic and awe-inspiring, two giant white hands descended through the ceiling of their room, ever flexing their fingers. Master Hand and Crazy Hand descended slowly, together, to where they were in plain view and everyone could see them.

A resounding, booming, knowing voice. "IT…IS TIME." Master Hand declutched the magnificent, shining, colorful ball he had been holding, which started floating around within his grasp. He then crushed the Smash Ball by making a sudden fist. An equally resounding, booming, and knowing laugh, joined by the well-known one of Crazy Hand, came from the enormous white glove as he activate the first ever…Final Smash.

**END OF CHAPTER...**

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**NORTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Dedede's Army (fled), Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule (minus Hylian Soldiers), Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Shy Guys

**Heroes:** Bowser, Ganondorf, Goombario, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mr. Game & Watch, Prince Peasley, Toad, Lance, Wes, Gary

**Villains: (known)** King Boo

**SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS:**

**Armies:** Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Icicle Mountains, Yoshis, Jinjos

**Heroes:** Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Dr. Mario

**CENTER FORMATION:**

**Armies:** Fire Emblem, Star Warriors, Hylian Soldiers

**Heroes:** (Master Hand's Room) Marth, Roy, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Krystal, Wolf, Leon, Panther

**Heroes:** (Fortress) Bomberman, Ness, Pac-man, Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Ice Climbers, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Heroes:** (Battlefields) Link, Young Link, Zelda, Peppy

**Villains: (known)** Space Pirates, Mother Brain, Kraid

**MISCELLANEOUS/VARYING:**

Armies: Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters, Timber's Island, The Great Sea

Heroes: Pit, Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman, Kirby

**Trophy:**

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Lario, Mauluigi, Panther, Vivian, Fawful


	48. Chapter 17:1: Divulgence

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{1} Divulgence**

Master Hand's outline glowed with a magnificent yellowish light. The sight of the entire world seemed to zoom in solely on this empowered shape. There was no time to wonder about what would happen next. But in an instant which blew away the minds all those who witnessed it, the two Hands suddenly vanished from the air, both their laughs echoing in their leave. Less noticeably, but equally significant, a specific number of other beings disappeared as well. Mario and Luigi vanished from the rooftop, leaving the Babies with Marilyn and Beldam. The swordsmen Marth and Roy were there one moment and completely gone the next (Roy in the very act of his fatal stab into Kraid's equivalent of a heart). Fox and Falco abruptly and involuntarily left Slippy and Krystal's side. Ness and the Ice Climbers dissolved into nothing from inside Master Hand's Fortress along with the four trophies on the 3rd floor. Back in the Battlefields there were similar such cases. Link, Zelda, Young Link, Ganondorf, Dr. Mario, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Kirby, and Mr. Game & Watch: all of them faded away from wherever they were positioned, in whatever condition or action they were in. Just like that, all these individuals were seemingly absent from the world.

The Original 25 and the two Hands were gone.

After a moment, the battle resumed without them, the Alliance realizing all they could do now was endure to the end. But the end was in fate's hands now.

…

Nothing could be seen but the glowing, shimmering Smash Ball among complete darkness. It moved slowly about, as if testing the limits of its new locale. Then, all of a sudden, it burst into a rainbow of colors, the shards flying outward like glass. They flew further and further away, and then drew to a spinning halt. Slowly, the reflective shards began spinning again, only this time they converged towards one another. Faster and faster they approached, the rate of change increasing more quickly than the description provided by these words, and with a burst of contorted light, they shot to the center and formed a surging sphere of black energy. The black sphere was unique in the sense that even though it was black in color, it was not an empty blackness, but a saturated one, and the light shining around its perfect roundness was as white (or whiter) than any light bulb or star. Once this center was established, everything else appeared around it, chasing away the _empty_ darkness.

A single large, floating platform existed in the midst of a digitally nonsensical, ever-changing, location-less surroundings. Random yet intricate designs spun and wove together all around, giving it the combined feelings of a black hole and light speed. The platform's surface was octagonal in shape, and what appeared to be smooth, dark metal. It was bordered by lines of bright, light purple which seemed to light up the stage. Underneath this surface hovered the black ball of awesome energy; it was around this that everything else seemed to be centered. Flat blue rectangles bordered with orange, tilted outwards toward the sphere, rotated around it in fixed orbits, perfectly controlled and unalterable.

It was among these conditions in which the Original 25 appeared. However, after taking an overwhelmed look at their ever-flowing surroundings, they noticed that great changes had taken place in some of their fellow Smashers. All who had been in perfect health before were still the same as before, but those who hadn't been were changed. They were all restored of any wounds, bruises, cuts, or other injuries which had been inflicted upon them. Even their energy was at its fullest once more, every sign of weariness gone.

Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, and Captain Falcon, who had been confined to their trophy stands for such a long time, were fully animated as they should be. Pikachu's cheeks sparked, his tail flicked back and forth, and his ears wiggled as he tested the newly restored control over his body. Peach rubbed her eyes, a bit woozy, but then straightened out, took out her umbrella to start twirling it, and gazed out at their surroundings. Samus Aran tested the functionality of her long-dormant Power Suit, which was fortunately still in perfect condition. Captain Falcon stretched his muscles, flexed to see that his well-defined abs and biceps still existed, and peered out of his helmet at the mind-boggling view.

Mario and Luigi bounced on their feet in boxer-like fighting stances, stretching their necks in circular motions and waiting with determination for their enemy to inevitably appear. Dr. Mario subconsciously tossed a spinning Megavitamin in front of him, and caught it without looking. Yoshi narrowed his large eyes at the ever-changing sky, no longer tired from his duel with Metal Yoshi. Bowser, completely healed of Metal Bowser's gashes, breathed out deep, hot breaths of air which were over 150 degrees Fahrenheit, waiting intensely like a hungry beast (which, essentially, he was). Donkey Kong beat his fists absent-mindedly on the metal surface, thriving in this strong, somehow rhythmic relationship.

Link stood by Zelda with Young Link on his other side, all three of them no longer shaken by the near tragedies of the past, and ready to change the future. Ganondorf stood a few feet behind them, arms folded, holding in his apprehensive dark power with forced patience. Marth held up his sword with honor and elegance, prepared to defend his lands and those of his friends. Roy, seeing Marth's actions, followed suit, his courage equal to that of Link.

Pichu, headache vanished, was a bit frightened of the change of environment, but, like his evolved form, sparked with passionate anger at the cheeks at the thought of all the damage Master Hand had already done. Jigglypuff, still resting obliviously, awoke slowly and gave a puff of surprise at the swirling designs. Mewtwo's deep purple eyes flashed, gaining insight on what was in store for them. His arms were folded, but even the mightiest of Psychic Pokemon was not overconfident at this point.

Fox checked his communicator, but learned that all sources of outward communication were nonfunctional here in this strange destination. Falco smiled confidently, prepared for anything these Hands could throw at him. Ness twirled his yo-yo in an Around the World maneuver, and then tilted his cap slightly in a gesture of child-like bravery. The two Ice Climbers gripped each others' mittens firmly, intent on facing Master Hand together. Kirby just stared blankly and innocently at the swirling sky.

Finally, Master Hand and Crazy Hand faded into appearance above them over the edge of the platform. Still laughing, their commanding voices resonating endlessly in their ears, it seemed an eternity until the two giant hands were finally finished relishing…well, whatever it was they were relishing. A foreboding, unsettling silence drew, and the background suddenly changed from currents of activity to a still, far-reaching space view with purple, red, blue, and black.

Master Hand's remarkably loud voice was unmistakable. "Mwa he hoo hey ha! The time has come, Smashers, for you to face your real challenge! I am well pleased and commend each and every one of you for managing to get this far. From the labors and risks of traveling from your distant homes, to surviving Fourside City, to getting past my innumerable armies and into my domain…I must admit at times I had doubted whether you would pass my tests. But my trust in your potential and strength and courage has proved true, and now, before we end this, I shall divulge the full extent of my plans as reward for your efforts."

Master Hand, unable to really use body language to emphasize what he was saying, simply remained positioned above them, facing them all with what everyone could tell, even without a face, was triumph. "From the very beginning, six years ago, I knew you, the Original 25, would be my biggest and only threat. For though it has always been my deepest ambition to conquer and reign over this world, I knew I wouldn't be able to simply take everything over, and let that be that. Because I, who have lived in this world from the beginning of its time, could see that in each of your homelands, the heroes residing there would do anything to protect them, including put their lives on the line. And the lands themselves have been bestowed with ancient magics which united could, until recently, overthrow even me. So I, the Master of the Nintendo World, spent ages devising the perfect plan to both gain control of the various regions of this world and render powerless the magics and heroes which guarded them. I think it safe to say that even you are familiar with a fair part of my plan by this point, but I will describe it explicitly so as to make it clear to all."

"After the completion of the Copyright Wars, and it was clear that the Nintendo World would be left to its own, I began to make my preparations for world domination. Lefty and I considered and pondered for long years which of these resident heroes and even villains deserved most and had proven most worthy to be included in our tournaments. I finally settled on twelve choice individuals to test out my idea. It was an immediate success.

"The concept of Nintendo's greatest fighters congregating to have it out at each other was an unprecedented, innovative notion which flocked together thousands upon thousands of watchers. The Super Smash Brothers tournaments became so popular that it soon seemed to be almost a kind of sport, no, a kind of _lifestyle_ for some of these fans. Eventually, I took the most frequent victor, _you_, Mario, and put you through additional challenges. I finally found you worthy to face me in a petit-sized battle. This was where the real genius came in, for I knew if I made it seem as if a Super Smash Brother could endeavor long and hard and come out on top over Master Hand himself, there would be no end to the demands for a recurrence.

"And so, nearly ten years previously, I announced that the Super Smash Brothers from throughout the Nintendo Universe would gather once more—only this time, things were different. More were invited (more specifically the Original 25), more challenges would present themselves, Crazy Hand—the Master's own literal counterpart—would make an appearance, and, most importantly, I would get what I truly wanted from it: _your DNA_. Some of my choices may have seemed questionable, but I assure you even now that there are still no worthier opponents than you chosen 25. I have more to say on that matter later on, but first, back to the cloning.

"After I recruited Professor U. Reeka into my service, he played a very helpful role in bringing to pass my envisioning. The Melee tournaments fulfilled their primary purpose of extracting some source of identity from each of you, which were then turned over to Reeka, who mixed the extracts into his molten formulas. Finally, the character molds were used to create 25 of my most valuable servants, whose metallic advantage has already proved helpful when facing their real selves. It is true that only a few of these creations remain, but they also have served their purpose, which was mainly to get all of you here. And with them leading my armies six years ago, I swiftly conquered the majority of everything in the Nintendo World besides the mainland. It was only the indignant Resistance which initially opposed me, but still I knew that my main threat would be…you.

"So I sent out my metal servants to capture a good number of you, and bring them to me. It was important that every region was represented in my dungeons so as to draw the rest of you out. And as we witnessed, my plan succeeded in bringing the remainder of the Original 25 to Fourside City whom I had not already claimed. The escape was a bit of a surprise, I admit, but soon after I called Lefty back, knowing Mario and the rest would just congregate in Fourside City, where I wanted most of you to be anyways. And it also struck me as more…_theatrical_…to allow it to happen. And then came the tournament.

"Here was where I began to have a change of mind. For always I had only considered it vital to add the 25 to my infamous trophy collection. But when I saw in this tournament all these many unique fighting styles and interesting backgrounds collide in the most interesting of ways, I began to rethink things. Perhaps I had been wrong in believing that only the 25 heroes and villains I'd chosen were competent and deserving enough of a place in my room. Perhaps every individual with a unique enough story and set of abilities should have a place in my collection. And it was then that I decided that not just the finalists and Original 25, but _all_ the tournament competitors, and _all_ special characters needed to be included in my ultimate plan. I instructed the fool Waluigi to no longer restrict his operations to anyone, and had the tournament ended differently, this process would not have been delayed. My new theory was proved correct when the very winner of the tournament, Sonic the Hedgehog, turned out to be an outsider. But Lefty's attack on the city, as with everything else so far, fulfilled its true purpose, to provoke the diverse mortal powers of the Nintendo World even further against me. And so that phase of the scheme ended with the loss of your own near-sighted leader, Bottles."

Most of the heroes twitched in anger at the mention of their former leader's name. But now, Crazy Hand took up where Master Hand left off, the Smashers now realizing that, oddly enough, his voice was exactly the same, although less contained (the only way they could tell he was the one speaking was that the booming intonation echoed from his direction). He laughed maniacally. "_Then_…we waited. Especially with Zelda in our grasp, we knew the Resistance would lobby to strike on our turf as soon as possible. I had been rather upset about the Star Spirits' unexpected arrival, but my brother reassures me they are out of the picture now. We sent three of our top metal agents to attempt to upset your journey to the Dimension Conflux, and, as we now see, were sufficiently successful. With the Smash Ball and Superstar with us, the prophesied guarantee of victory for the wielder of all the Power of Dimensions was no longer a threat to us. And so we made our final preparations for your arrival, including the implementation of Reeka's new ideas for the army. Master Hand called upon all rebellious forces of this world, be it from the dead or living, to fight alongside us and shatter your confidence.

"The battle began. We were enthralled by the intense action, the epic battles, and the crushing defeats of our armies. I must really _hand_ it to all of you, it impressed even us how diverse and inclusive a legion the Nintendo Alliance was able to come up with, however pathetic in comparison to our own. But still we waited, biding our time for the most opportune, dramatic moment to make our entrance. At last we reached it, when the Mario Bros. stood victorious over Master Hand's personal creation, the Lario Bros."

Master Hand spoke again to conclude. "And so you stand before us today, about to come to the realization that all your efforts have accomplished no other purpose than our own amusement. Before we end this once and for all, are there any questions?" He asked this slowly and strangely sincerely, as if he were a college professor giving a lecture.

Mario, whose boldness stood out above most of the rest, smiled challengingly and called up to the Hands with distaste. "'Lario Bros.'? Really, Master a-Hand? You a-claim to have the best ideas, and _that's _the a-best idea you could come up a-with?"

"SILENCE!" Master Hand bellowed, clearly offended. "I shall experiment with the designs of beings as I please!"

"I have a question, O-Great-Lord-Glove," Bowser growled. "Why do some of your…_things_…disappear into purple smoke when they are destroyed?"

"Because," the great Hand answered, "every creation originating from my own designs will in the end of its existence vanish in the same manner in which it was created."

This, of course, only raised more questions, but the rest thought it not expedient to push their adversary on the subject under their current circumstances.

"So! Let's get to it, Hands!" Captain Falcon balled his fist and clutched it in his other hand, cracking his knuckles. "What exactly did this 'Smash Ball,' as you call it, do? It might just be me, but apparently so far all it's done is restore a bunch of your enemies and bring them together to beat you up."

"Precisely," Master Hand replied in a perplexingly triumphant tone. "The Smash Ball is a power source from the future, one which grants a unique ability for whoever possesses it. It so happens that when I make use of it, I get to do one thing—_set the rules_. And here are the rules, Smashers: five of you will face my brother and me at a time, one stock each. If you lose your stock, however, you will immediately transform into a trophy. If, together, you can defeat us, then you win. If all of you fail, then…well…you lose. Sound fair enough?"

A murmur of unsettled voices came from the Original 25; those who were eager for a battle seemed satisfied by the conditions, but the less aggressive ones were a bit more hesitant. Finally, however, Master Hand spoke over all of them anyway, regardless of where their opinions stood. "Good. Now, shall we begin…the end?" His voice was as deep, authoritative, and theatrical as ever.

Suddenly, everyone disappeared from Final Destination.

**

* * *

**

Character Locations

**FINAL DESTINATION:** Original 25, Master Hand, Crazy Hand

**Trophy:**

Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi

**DECEASED:**

The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers, Pigma, Nascour, Darunia, Professor U. Reeka, Epona, Lario, Mauluigi, Panther, Vivian, Fawful


	49. Chapter 17:2: The Fountain of Dreams

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{2} The Fountain of Dreams**

Master Hand and Crazy Hand appeared over the edge on each side of the first location in a flurry of blue sparks. On the main platform of the Fountain of Dreams, liquid dreams flowed across the stage and over the side, descending into the atmosphere. The star-topped monument of the fountain itself glittered mystically in the center. The rainbow-swirling clouds glowed profusely like nightlights in the black night sky, reflecting beautifully off the clear dream water. The platform itself existed in mid-air, giant oval gems embedded ornately around the goblet-shaped stone encrypted with flowing swirl designs. Just a few hundred yards below, it so happened, through the clouds, was the universally recognized Rainbow Ride, magic carpets and all. This seemed like a place that was sacred, one that wasn't to be disturbed. But unfortunately, disturbed it was.

Materializing onto the stage along with the Hands was first Kirby, looking back and forth between his opponents warily, on the top platform. Next was Mr. Game & Watch almost blending in with the dark background with a natural camouflage below Kirby on the fountain's surface. The two princes Marth and Roy faded into view on the two opposite platforms held up only by the gushing dream water, prepared to fight to the bitter end. Finally, the Ice Climbers Popo and Nana appeared close to Game & Watch on either side, facing opposite directions while grasping each others' left hands and holding out their hammers with their right.

Marth glared up at Crazy Hand, who was nearest to him, and prepared to move. He blinked a couple times as the special contacts behind his eyes registered the name of his enemy in clear bold letters and his HP: 700. _Seven hundred,_ the swordsman wondered. _This may be harder than we thought…_Marth recalled the meeting back in the business building of Fourside City when Professor E. Gadd had presented them each with the aforementioned ocular devices.

"_These," Gadd explained in his special meeting with the Original 25, "are Adversary Analyzers, version 1.0. I constructed them using a combination of chemicals and alloys from a Hero's Charm given me by the Rito Postman. Fascinating design, yes? Well, what these do when you wear them is tell you the denotative name of your enemies and how much vitality they have remaining. Why necessary, you may ask? Because when facing a formidable opponent, most particularly Master Hand or Crazy Hand, it's good to know how much strength they have left so that you can formulate a strategy based on what you know in order to maximize the chances of success. I highly recommend you wear them throughout the battle tomorrow. Any questions?"_

_At this point, most of the Original 25 needed no further encouragement before placing them onto their eyes, and blinking them into place, watering slightly. But Mr. Game & Watch just stood there at a loss, raising his hand._

"_Er…how am _I_ sup-posed to wear these?"_

_Gadd, taken by surprise, gave the flat fighter an apologetic look of concern. "Eh? Oh, I'm _so_ sorry, Mr. Game & Watch. I haven't yet devised a pair that fits your needs. I'm afraid you'll have to go without on this one."_

And so, Marth and the other four on the Fountain of Dreams (excluding Game & Watch) could see the high HP count of their two foes, but regardless, were set and determined to inflict all the damage they could. One moment, everything was relatively still besides the rush of dream water and colorful clouds; the next, the Smashers leapt into action.

Almost symmetrically, Marth and Roy both leapt towards the two hands, and slashed sideways as they fell, coming into contact with the white gloves. The enemies surprisingly did not respond at all for the first few seconds, appearing to be trying to give them a fool's chance. Kirby floated above Master Hand, and then came down, kicking with his stubby red feet. Mr. Game & Watch jumped and whacked his turtle onto Crazy Hand's Fingers, and the Ice Climbers jabbed upward with their hammers into Master Hand's palm. The five Smashers landed back on the main platform, already breathing hard.

"What are their re-main-ing health ra-tios?" Game & Watch asked.

"Master Hand 675, Crazy Hand 680," Roy replied, preparing for another attack.

The two Hands suddenly became more animated, and laughed. "Is that truly your best effort?" Master Hand bellowed. "I suggest you watch the Master to see how it is done!" The two Hands swiftly landed on each edge of the platform on their index and middle fingers, and began walking on them toward the center. Their move was too fast for anyone to avoid, however; all six individuals were pushed into convergence by the enormous fingers, and then when the Hands met, they drew back their index fingers and flicked everything in between. All of them were sent flying, and then tumbling back to the surface. However, mid-descent, Crazy Hand rose and flicked Nana off the stage.

"Nana!" Popo cried, rushing to the edge and reaching out his hand in an attempt to save his climbing partner. Nana threw out her cable as far as she could, but it just barely came up short. With a flash of white light, Nana was gone. The lone Ice Climber now turned back to the Hands, murder in his eyes. "You'll pay for that, Crazy Hand!"

Now Kirby, Game & Watch, and Marth went after Master Hand. Kirby sent a wave of force by swiping up and then back down with a cutter blade. Game & Watch used his black fire extinguisher repeatedly above him, and Marth leapt forward and went into a complicated series of jabs and slashes, dancing around the hand. But after his bout, Marth had drawn too close; Master Hand lashed out and grabbed the prince. He squeezed Marth several agonizing times, racking up an unbelievable amount of damage percentage, and then flung the blue-haired swordsman off the edge of the Fountain of Dreams—so rapidly that he had no chance to recover. Marth disappeared with another white flash from below.

Popo faced Crazy Hand, eying the long, flexible fingers like deadly Kraken tentacles. Then the diminutive yet fierce climber moved in, striking at Crazy Hand with his hammer, and occasionally blocking the fingers with the same tool. He let out from his mitten a burst of chilling ice that caused Crazy Hand to cry out in pain and temporarily draw back. But the hand was not long hindered, and almost immediately afterward followed up by rushing forward and grasping Popo in an alarmingly tight grip, prepared to chuck him off like Marth had been. However, at that moment, Roy, who had been waiting with his sword drawn back while Crazy Hand faced the other direction, chose that moment to unleash his charged fiery energy, and hacked across the white glove with considerable power. This time Crazy Hand unleashed a real scream, dropping Popo as his fingers flailed and shook apart, and then circling wrathfully to confront the red-haired boy.

Meanwhile, Master Hand had moved to the side slightly over the edge, and from each of his fingertips shot a blue beam of laser energy; the slightest move of any of his fingers would cause the corresponding beam to strike a completely different spot. The Hand manipulated his fingers, trying to hit Kirby and Mr. Game & Watch. Both of the said Smashers were jumping up and around the top and left platform, avoiding the five beams and flinging black sausages at Master Hand, many of which hit their mark (Kirby had quickly sucked in the cooperative Game & Watch, so now they both shared the same projectile power).

As the right fountain involuntarily descended, causing the platform it supported to join the ground level, Crazy Hand soared high above them, and widened his palm as though he were about to spank a naughty child's bottom. Roy and Popo, directly below, employed different methods of protection as the hand slapped down upon the Fountain of Dreams with great force. Popo dived in a northward direction, dodging the attack altogether, while Roy used one of the special techniques he'd learned with Young Link in the sword-fighting academy of the Unknown Land; he and Marth alone had been able to master it. By posing in a certain way and holding his sword in a special stance at just the right moment, he was able to counter Crazy Hand's ground slap and inflict damage himself while remaining unharmed. However, what he wasn't prepared for, forgetting that the hands never flinched, was the spontaneous, crazed writhing on the ground that followed his enemy's slap. Both him and Popo were flung into the air, and then smacked again as they came back down helplessly by Crazy Hand's flailing mass. There seemed no escape from this rampage.

The five beams suddenly zoned in on one individual: Game & Watch. Caught off guard by the suddenly speedy lasers, the 2-D fighter beeped disdainfully as he was shot into the sky, and disappeared among the stars with a twinkle in the distance. This left only Kirby to face Master Hand.

"So, Kirby; we seem to meet one another more often than anyone else. Tell, me, do you have a sense of dreadful foreboding now that your defeat is at hand?" (no pun intended)

Kirby frowned in determination, pink once more after discarding Game & Watch's copy ability but no longer appearing cute by all means, and said a single word at that moment which seemed completely irrelevant. "Hungry!"

" Ha! I—"Master Hand stopped mid-speech, perplexed. "…Eh?"

Kirby's frown turned into a frightening smile, and he repeated himself, this time with vehemence. "Hungry!" And the pink puffball proceeded to open his mouth wider than he thought he'd ever done before, and began sucking harder than ever before. He sucked harder and harder, his chops aching. Master Hand inched closer and closer, until the unthinkable happened: Kirby engulfed the giant glove, and swallowed forcefully but with great satisfaction, transforming into a true oddity among copy abilities.

Hand Kirby was exactly the same shape and size as Master Hand, save for the striking pink color, and the bizarrely placed face on the back of the hand. Master Hand reappeared where he had been before, temporarily stunned by the sheer illogicalness of what had just happened. Hand Kirby turned around to where, to his dismay, Crazy Hand had just disposed of Roy by knocking him off the side of the fountain. With a Kirby-ish cry, the pink hand unleashed a barrage of flaming missiles at high velocities at Crazy Hand, which crashed into the unsuspecting enemy one after the other in rapid succession.

Popo, decidedly fed up with Crazy Hand, crouched below the three giant hands above him and rolled over to Master Hand, raising his hammer challengingly. In another example of quick succession, the Ice Climber placed Freezies on the watery ground and stroked them with his hammer like golf balls up at Master Hand in a way which was sure to irritate him. Sure enough, Master Hand's attention was drawn away from Hand Kirby to the parka-clad Smasher below. The hand lifted itself higher into the air, balled into a fist, and crashed onto the platform time after time, but missing repeatedly. Popo rolled out of the way with each attempt, continuing to hit up Freezies all the while.

Hand Kirby and Crazy Hand, meanwhile, were interlocked in a strange sort of wrestling match. Fingers twisted together, palms pushing tightly against one another, each trying to overpower the other. The biggest struggle was at the top, where the two thumbs fought for top placement. The thumb wrestling went on for a while, but Kirby, not as used to being a hand as Crazy Hand, was eventually overpowered. Crazy Hand, in a sort of pile-drive move, slammed Kirby and himself onto the ground, generating a large splash of dream water. Kirby reverted to his normal small round state, the copy ability disappearing as a bouncing star over the edge. He was down, but not out; for he took the opportunity to smash his hammer onto Crazy Hand's pinky, which everyone knows how painful it is to hit one's finger with a hammer.

Popo put up a valiant effort, but at last, growing tired, he faltered in his movement, and was smashed by Master Hand, who then proceeded to sweep him off the edge, unable to recover without his partner. Master Hand then turned to Crazy Hand who was struggling against Kirby's hammer skills, and in a flash pinched the Star Warrior between his thumb and index fingers like a discolored grape, contemplating whether or not to squash it. But Kirby was very tired, and didn't struggle, dazed.

"Perhaps someday, you will know what we truly are, Kirby…but for now, you fail…" Crazy Hand followed up this last remark of farewell by flicking Kirby off the side of the gushing Fountain of Dreams with the same distaste of a pink booger. With a final flash, the five Smashers were gone.

The scene faded into darkness once more, Master Hand laughing.

MASTER HAND: 625 CRAZY HAND: 605


	50. Chapter 17:3: Poke'Floats

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{3} Poke'Floats**

The giant Squirtle float took center stage in the striking red and orange skies of Saffron City, wispy clouds streaking by in the background, the city barely visible below through the lower clouds. Throughout the urban area a great festival was being held to celebrate and honor the procession of the Nintendo Alliance into the realms of the Enemy. Every balloonist and aeronaut around had brought their biggest and grandest inflated Pokemon which together formed a massive flotilla of balloons that had never before been seen within the city. The giant representations of many of these famous creatures hovered at great heights of hundreds of feet—although there were so many that varying layers of balloons existing at different elevations had to have been formed. The shiny, rubbery surfaces, colored so diversely as to make the rainbow-colored Ho-oh seem to be made from a mere black-and-white palette in comparison, shone off the orange sun's light, generating a dazzling contrast of bright reflections from nearly any perspective. And so, ironic it was when the two villains whom the denizens of Saffron had been celebrating the proximate victory over appeared amidst their own merrymaking, even though none (or very few) of the residents were able to notice it at first.

Above either side of a prominently gigantic Squirtle float materialized the hands named Crazy and Master. This time, an altogether separate set of Smashers appeared to challenge them. Upon the Squirtle's massive head were placed Pichu, Jigglypuff, and Mewtwo, three-fourths of the Pokemon representation in the Original 25. Pichu, although painstakingly small in stature, may as well have been several times his size with the fierce look of fortitude in his shining eyes. Jigglypuff, the true princess of all puffs, looked more ferocious than all the times she'd sang and discovered everyone had fallen asleep combined. And Mewtwo, hovering between the two, had his pale, organically stretched arms folded sagely as his keen, observant eyes were focused unwaveringly on Master Hand. On Squirtle's upraised right arm (so on the left side from an outward point of view), Ness came into being, who adjusted his red cap and pointed both hands at Crazy Hand after playing with blue sparks glowing on his fingertips and drawing them back in a fighting stance. Lastly, the space on the other inflated blue arm was filled by the loving green dinosaur Yoshi, who at the moment had his big elliptical eyes narrowed halfway and fixed on his bleached opponent in tense preparation for the most important boss fight he would ever indulge in.

A brief moment of silence passed as the sweeping winds associated with their high elevation flurried around them, ruffling clothes and ears and slowly shifting the giant balloon they resided on in a generally circular motion. Then it began.

Right from the start, Yoshi launched a bombardment of eggs from below, each one being hurled at Crazy Hand. Mewtwo, being nearly level with the insane deity-figure, contributed by flinging oscillating Shadow Balls of varying size at the same enemy. Each projectile, if it collided with Crazy Hand, shattered sharply if it was an egg and afflicted his entire figure with purple energy if it was a Shadow Ball. Crazy Hand laughed and showed that he was willing to play their game. He pointed his index and middle fingers forward with his thumb raised like a gun, and from the formerly mentioned appendages shot an onslaught of shiny bullet-shaped missiles with flames bursting from behind them. The missiles took in Yoshi's and Mewtwo's barrages in Crazy Hand's stead, canceling out both forces and bringing about a dynamic stalemate.

On the other side of the balloon, Ness delved into his PSI powers and sent a controlled PK Thunder to zigzag and snake around Master Hand to hopefully distract his attention. Jigglypuff and Pichu, seeing what Ness was trying to do, then jumped down and landed on Master Hand in a petit ambush, landing every kick, slap, Headbutt, and shock to their opponent that they could muster. Master Hand seemed not to notice the assailants at first, but then effortlessly rotated until he was upside down in a simple but effective motion. Now both the Pokemon had nothing to keep them falling but the thick fingers to which they were holding onto; Jigglypuff released her hold and puffed back up to Squirtle's head while Pichu, closing his eyes and willing himself not to look down at the sea of clouds and distant city far below, let go and landed soundly on Ness cap, clinging to it like a lifeline. Master Hand, undoubtedly amused by their endeavors, took it upon himself to demonstrate what they were up against by forming a fist above the boy and mouse Pokemon and bringing himself down speedily onto the Squirtle's arm. Both Ness and Pichu had no chance of avoidance, and cried out as they were smashed down with the arm. Pichu was pushed to the edge where he clung onto the stubby rubber fingers desperately, while Ness was crushed into the side of the blue head. However, since the air in the arm was deflated as Master Hand pressed it down, the concentrated hot air which was formerly within the arm was forced upward into the shell and then the head, causing it to abruptly inflate and send a bouncing jolt into each of Mewtwo, Yoshi, and Jigglypuff. Mewtwo, being a cat, did have claws deep within his lower paws, and the sudden tightening of the surface he stood on compelled his claws to puncture the balloon. In addition, Ness's baseball bat at his side was forced into the gap between Squirtle's arm and shell and created another hole.

The Squirtle float began to deflate and descend as it lost air rapidly, the loud noise of escaping air warning the Smashers of the crisis. Jigglypuff, determined to free Ness from being pushed into the balloon entirely and doomed to go down with it, floated surreptitiously down behind Master Hand, came into direct contact with the white glove, and initiated one of her most fearsome moves: Rest. A roar of surprise came from Master Hand as he released pressure on Ness and spun around to face the sneaky puffball. Pichu was catapulted upwards as the arm filled instantaneously with air and flung the yellow creature high above the other two towards the safety of the head. As he pushed through the air with the wind flowing around him, the Pokemon thought to send a vertical Thunder bolt into Master Hand along the way.

Yoshi yelped during his flutter jump up to the head—which was necessary because the rest of the float was vanishing below their range of vision—as a few of the missiles exploded into him during the process. He and Mewtwo observed as Crazy Hand discontinued the series of missiles and prepare to land a punch in their direction. However, the self-proclaimed god had to move to the side out of the way of another float being blown into their view. It was lengthy and sloped like a snake, but more ridged, for it was a swollen semblance of Onix, a Rock-type Pokemon compiled of a long chain of boulders. Yoshi and Mewtwo both exploited this opportunity by ascending—each in their own fashion—to the top of the Onix float. Crazy Hand, however, had merely to rise up through the air in order to face them again.

"_That's not fair,"_ Mewtwo thought publicly. _"We must beware our location while you and your counterpart need not pay it any heed."_

"That's the ingenuity of my brother's function for the Smash Ball, isn't it?" Crazy Hand laughed again. "_He_ makes the rules!"

_I KNEW it was crucial for the Smash Ball to not fall into Master Hand's grasp…_ Mewtwo thought, now privately. This injustice infuriated Mewtwo. The genetically enhanced hormones made the human-sized cat Pokemon experience such rage that he uttered the first thing he'd said out loud for quite some time. "GrrrrrraaaaaAAAAHHHH!" Mewtwo cast himself recklessly into Crazy Hand, smacking around with his tail, burning every conceivable surface with purple flames, and generating blinding shocks of candescent sparks all about him, damaging the tyrannical hand further.

But Crazy Hand acted through all this dazzling confusion and squeezed the elite Psychic user inhumanely tight. With a flick of the wrist, he made to throw Mewtwo off the float only to discover that his catch had Teleported out of his grip at the last moment. Mewtwo was next to Yoshi, giving several intervallic purrs of amused beguilement. Crazy Hand, all self-control depleted or forgotten (not that this was a situation in which he would have used it), landed stiffly onto the Onix tail like a spider, and rushed forward with an animalic swiftness, pushing aside Yoshi and bowling into the unprepared Mewtwo. With Mewtwo forced on top of him, Crazy Hand then elevated himself indefinitely with the Pokemon collapsed on the back of his wrist until the Smasher was but a spinning figure in the distance which left the match with a disdainful twinkle. The giant left hand convulsed in complacency as he descended back down.

"Yoshi!" protested Yoshi ardently from below as if to say, "Now _that's_ not fair!"

In the meantime, Pichu had made his own withdrawal from the dangerously low-inflated Squirtle float to the safety of Onix. Master Hand had also retreated upwards, but Jigglypuff was still asleep, and Ness found to his dismay that his iconic, trusty old baseball bat was stuck in the hole it had made in the material. He tugged on it several times, but could not force the other widened end back through.

"Come ON!" exclaimed Ness desperately. At length, he finally was able to use PK fire to burn away some of the rubber around it and pull the rest of his tool through. The boy hollered at Jigglypuff to wake up, but she was still in her prolonged repose as a consequence of rescuing him. With no time to dawdle or deliberate any longer, Ness turned regretfully away, used his PSI powers to high-jump onto the head, and upon repeating the motion and finding he came up short, propelled himself onto the Onix behind Pichu with a precisely-aimed PK Thunder. He looked down as Jigglypuff receded and with a splash of whiteness completed her dreamy sacrifice.

With the cranial separator no longer present, the two Hands now combined forces by each using open palms to push Yoshi, Pichu, and Ness into the center; following this, they both moved back numerous yards in each direction, and then came together in a deafening clap of the gods. But one clap wasn't enough; Master and Crazy Hand repeated this action several more times, causing severe harm among their victims. The Smashers were tossed to and fro in mid-air above the float until the succession of claps ceased and they collapsed onto the bumpy surface.

Although disoriented by the strike, it impassioned and aggravated them that they could allow their voluminous adversaries to toy with them so. Yoshi flutter jumped above Master Hand, and as he came down, flutter kicked hard and long without holding anything back—with the ferocity and grace of a true dragon. His own kicking, incredibly, kept him aloft with its speed, allowing him to continue. The voracious steed had to carefully avoid tangling his red boots in the Hand's fingers to avoid being tripped up or caught by their sudden motion; it was like an impromptu tap-dancing performance. Except on top of a seething villain. And thousands of feet above the ground.

Ness drew out his yellow yo-yo, gained control over it by twirling it a couple of times around his finger, and then, remembering what he had seen on a television show back on Onett called "Wind Waker: Legends of a Boy in Green," closed one eye while staring at Crazy Hand in order to clearly perceive his target and judge the distance and angle he needed. Then, confident on where to release, he increased the velocity of the yo-yo's twirling until it was a blur (he always triumphed in school competitions because he practiced for hours every day) and launched it towards the giant glove's constantly curling pinky. The circular end wrapped over the finger, wound about it several times, and then tightened, just like the grappling hook he'd seen on the cartoon. With an adventurous holler, Ness ran left—the opposite direction of Crazy Hand—until the yo-yo's string length maxed out and tensed up. At this point, the momentum from Ness's running sent him into a dramatic human loop-the-loop which created a sensation of euphoria and slight nausea in Ness's head as he went upside down during his air-borne semi-circle toward Crazy Hand. The finger to which the yo-yo's string was tied smarted worse than when he'd pulled out his last baby tooth with a doorknob, but he knew this outlandish maneuver would be well worth his pain. As he finally came back around behind the hand, holding his dangling arm like a vine-swinger, Ness waited until just the right moment, and then, as the tip of his tennis shoe connected with his opponent, activated a sharp, concentrated surge of PSI energy into the impact, actually pushing Crazy Hand away several yards with the force of the impact. Biting off the tightened string near his finger so he wouldn't dangle like a puppet as a result, Ness landed smoothly back onto Onix.

"Thank you Saturday morning cartoons!" he said, sounding like a nerd.

But the boy gawped as he watched Crazy Hand's response. The belligerent extremity's cutoff point (where the wrist ceased and the glove ended) shot out a burst of rocket flames and smoke as it proceeded to execute a stunt similar to the one he'd just performed, circling upside down and coming back toward him at an angle. Unfortunately, being the curious kid he was, Ness was left only to crane his neck upward as Crazy Hand passed above him and then came back around from behind with his second and third fingers extended in an aggressive poke. Ness careened across the Onix and disappeared in a white splash within a fraction of a second.

Master Hand, frustrated by Yoshi's inflictive noogie which he was unable to cast off or even move away from, bellowed in anger, calling his counterpart's attention. Crazy Hand, seeing his brother's distress, made to flick the dinosaur away. However, as he attempted to do so, a vertical bolt of jagged lightning struck down, causing him to draw back reflexively. Crazy Hand turned his gaze upward (perhaps with no tilting at all) to see an unexpected spectacle. Pichu, whom they had somehow forgotten, was leaping across a train of short, flat black floats resembling each of the 26 variations of the Pokemon Unown. Some sort of wind current was directing them at a pace much faster than the Onix or any other float. And with each leap to the next symbol, Pichu called upon a strip of lightning to descend upon his intended target. Crazy Hand backed away from his brother, his attention now held by this aerial assault. His bellicose nature provided that he was instinctive enough to be able to dodge each bolt of lightning, and in between dodges, he sent up another missile from his fingertip. From a certain perspective, this situation may have looked like some kind of arcade game.

During one of the missile intervals, Yoshi leapt off of Master Hand, caught the explosive projectile with his lengthy tongue, drew it into his mouth, and spit it back straight down at Crazy Hand, who took a hit. After doing all this in midair, he Ground Pounded the Hand, used the momentum to bounce back up, and flutter jumped next to Pichu to join the Unown train. The Onix now fading below and to the left, the two Hands levitated upwards in pursuit. Master Hand drilled skyward, knocking Pichu aside, and then came back down on Yoshi, pinching him against one of the Unown and spinning like a merciless drill. He did not release hold upon Yoshi until the Unown they occupied was too far away on the right and Yoshi could not recover before being enveloped in whiteness with another yelp.

Pichu had been swallowed up in Crazy Hand's fist like a Venus Flytrap, and cried out despairingly as Crazy Hand prepared to chuck him downwards like a slam dunk where there was nowhere to land upon.

Master Hand lowered next to his opposite and laughed. "So ends Round Two! You know, I was deeply disappointed by your performance, Pichu. Perhaps I shall not invite you to my _next_ tournament…"

Crazy Hand then tossed the Pokemon hard in the downward direction, laughing with his brother. They were ready to move on.

Unexpectedly, though, Pichu did not vanish in a splash of white light. Instead, he landed on what appeared to be nonexistent solid ground—that is, until the pink float resembling the Pokemon Chancey rose fortuitously from below, supporting the surviving Smasher. Pichu stood up, enraged, and—even for his tiny size—his demeanor approached intimidating.

"Pi Pichu Pi Pi-_CHU!_" The pre-evolved mouse squealed firmly, being interpreted, "I may not defeat you. But my friends soon _WILL!_" With that, Pichu unleashed an unprecedented burst of lightning which darkened the clouds of the entire sky, and buffeted the two tyrants with huge amounts of lightning at least as thick as during the 7-on-7 Pokemon battle. Master and Crazy Hand appeared irritated, but not unduly worried as Pichu collapsed out of exhaustion and rolled off the Chancey float into the void.

MASTER HAND: 505 CRAZY HAND: 470


	51. Chapter 17:4: Hyrule Castle

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{4} Hyrule Castle**

The same darkening orange sky (now mixed with deep reds and bright violets) was in the background, but this time the clouds were actually above, which was somewhat of a relief. Although the next stage was still from a considerable height of between four and five stories high, it was much closer to the ground than the previous location. The site was a rooftop, but not just any rooftop: the highest battlements and spires of Hyrule Castle could not be mistaken with the gray stone surfaces blending in certain areas with dark green shingles the color of the mystic Lost Woods. The ancient, historical architecture was wide across, with two green spires on the elevated central area, one of them upon a tower that extended even further upward. Another shorter spire was placed on an unreachable parapet below in the front, and on a lower roof on the right was yet another spire, except one could pass through a hollow arch running through it, and the top of it was flat as if the upper few feet of material had been sliced off like cheese. A few black windows dotted the otherwise plain stone outer walls. Extending up from the horizon and covering the setting sun, thereby casting a great shadow across much of the grassy land around the castle, was a tall range of mountains, Death Mountain being most prominent among them with its halo of dark smoke lingering above it. But yet there seemed to be another difference.

Everything was beautiful, from the construction of the castle to the environment, but it appeared as if it wasn't quite as beautiful, as _detailed_, as it could, or should, be. The corners and ridges of the walls and mountains cut off too sharply, and the colors of the sunset didn't blend and blur together as smoothly; if one looked hard enough, individual pixels of color shades could be seen. This wasn't just Hyrule Castle—it was Hyrule Castle…_of the Past_. Master Hand and Crazy Hand, who each appeared in their traditional order on either end of the castle in midair (and were equally downgraded in visual intricacy), had chosen for the next battle to take place in the Dimension Conflux itself.

The Hero of Time himself, conqueror of the dark tower which had once stood in this very spot, faded into existence, descending slightly from the bluish-white light surrounding him. Link was placed at the top of the tower in the middle, and was given a spectacular view of old Hyrule which he was unable to enjoy due to the current predicament. He drew the Master Sword, now relying on fate and the strength of the Triforce of Courage to guide them to victory.

Directly below him, at the bottom of the tower, the same hero's younger incarnation materialized onto the castle top. Still lit up with a youthful, fiery passion and ambition for success, Young Link drew the shorter but more wieldable Kokiri Sword, prepared to, for the first time, make battle with his older self at his side. The green hats on both Links flapped in the high-altitude wind.

To Young Link's left, still on the elevated central rooftop, Princess Zelda spun into visibility, the green magic and yellow ribbon-like force of Farore's wind making her appearance light and graceful. However, the last of her own magical energy had been drained in the effort to revive the other Triforce holders, and the heir to the throne of Hyrule knew that in a bout against Master Hand and Crazy Hand, she would be of little use in her current state. Therefore, she concentrated, and after delving into the last reserves of her royal endowments, glowed a brilliant white, her figure morphing and altering itself. When the light faded a matter of seconds later, she was no longer Zelda of Hyrule, but the mysterious Sheik, an inconvenient and confusing guise she had taken on during Hyrule's darkest age, yet at the same time much better suited for combat of most any kind. Without knowing her true identity, you would never be able to decipher that the masculine-appearing figure with a wave of blonde hair and the red insignia of the Sheikah tribe emblazoned on the front of her muscular blue garments was one and the same as the elegant princess who was the daughter of King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Sheik appeared to grimace at Master Hand from beneath the cloth covering her mouth, and reached towards her store of needle spikes.

His heavy leather boots plodding onto the green shingles to the left of the central stone surface, fingerless gloves gripped into tight, powerful fists, and eyes commanding a natural opaque ruthlessness, Ganondorf the King of Evil took his place as the fourth contestant. His heavy, embroidered bronze cape flapped ferociously along with the green hats behind him as he directed his glare to the foe just a few yards above and before him, the one who had stolen his traditional role of mightiest tyrant in the land.

Which, according to the beast who appeared on the opposite end of the stage, underneath and partly concealed by the green spire bending around him, might not be the truth. For Bowser, the equally power-hungry King of the Koopas and one of this world's oldest of creatures, very much considered himself, no doubt, to be the true ultimate tyrant and opponent of civilized Nintendonians. However, having set aside this history and reputation occasionally in the recent past, the colossal spiked turtle of fiery breath could now tend to be more inclined to not only ensuring that no one was superior in power to himself, but that his world, his home, was protected from anyone who attempted to change or harm it, even if it meant going to the great lengths of teaming up with his frequent enemies. Bowser roared towards Crazy Hand, bloodthirsty for the opportunity to avenge the deaths of Bottles, Orca, and his elite Hammer Bros. battalion.

As before, there was a short period of glowering on the Smashers' part, the clouds rolling across the sky like cotton candy, followed by sudden simultaneous action.

Master Hand descended upon Ganondorf like a fell vulture, intent on snatching the man in his giant grasp. The Gerudo caught the hand's index and ring fingers with his long, muscular arms, and held them back with gritted teeth, determined to overpower the self-proclaimed god in a duel of might. His arms shook, his legs quaking with the effort of withstanding Master Hand's immense strength.

Sheik flung a series of needles into Master Hand, several of them pricking the glove's fingers, but having no visible effect other than inflicting minor damage. Seeing Ganondorf's engagement, Sheik then turned to follow the Links towards Crazy Hand. Link jumped down from the top of the tower and dropped with a hard landing next to his younger self, and the three of them approached the tunneled spire.

Crazy Hand, becoming the likeness of a gyrating drill, drew back and then hurled himself towards the hulking Bowser under the spire. The warmongering counterpart was met by a heavy stream of blazing hot flames. While this did not cease Crazy Hand's charge, ending in Bowser being slammed into the stone wall between the central and rightmost areas, it scorched him and lingered on the glove several seconds afterward, causing his HP count to drop steadily. Bowser was hurt little, being protected by his tough spiky shell. The Koopa King rolled over and clamored back to his feet. He lunged vengefully at Crazy Hand who was still underneath the spire, and dug his sharp claws into the index finger, gripping it tightly. His fire deposit still in the regenerating process at the moment, Bowser leaned down and bit down as hard as he could on the fingertip. Its texture and taste was strange: rubbery, but not fleshy and severable like he had hoped. His shark-like teeth could not close down more then halfway down the fingertip. However, Bowser had no chance to ponder this phenomenon, for upon clawing and biting the finger, Crazy Hand had screamed in fury, and jabbed relentlessly forward, pushing Bowser backward and pinning him by his stomach against the wall. Bowser could not let out a single wisp of smoke or flames, let alone breathe; he gasped for air, unable to close his claws around the long, thick finger pinning him. Crazy Hand applied more and more pressure, choking and crushing the beast mercilessly.

Link and Young Link jumped as one and plunged their swords downward, striking Crazy Hand concurrently with their mismatched blades, which penetrated no further than Bowser's teeth before bouncing off and landing them on top of the hand himself. The heroes knew they had marred their enemy, however, because of the Adversary Analyzers in place against their pupils, showing a decline in Crazy Hand's vitality. Sheik leapt above and landed a swift kick to Crazy Hand as she descended. After reverberating off, she touched down in between the huge thumb and the index finger still pressed against Bowser.

Ganondorf and Master Hand struggled against one another, "hand in hand," one might say, or more literally, "hand in finger." The pressure buildup was so great that it was comparable to the force being held in by two tectonic plates jammed pushing against each other at a fault line. The wielder of the Triforce of Power poured into his exertion every last drop of energy from not only his body, but the strength he possessed from the golden triangle glowing on his left hand. He was astounded, therefore, when still he could not prevail over Master Hand; no amount of physical force seemed to be able to subdue him, or surpass the white glove's capabilities. Ganondorf's eyes grew bloodshot, his muscles bulged with this unprecedented constriction, and he trembled even more than before from the strain of holding such a transcendent, sublimely potent adversary in check. He would hold this position until he could take it no more and survive, for nothing was more important to Ganondorf than proving his superiority over even the strongest Nintendonian antagonists. While the Gerudo was incredibly able to maintain this strenuous standstill, virtually any other human would have crumpled from a pinch of Master Hand's fingers. The setting sun shone between the two combatants in just the right spot and exactly the right angle, so it seemed almost as if this light was being generated by the epic struggle, although they tilted forward and backward slightly, shaking continually. It struck Ganondorf as ironic that this story would begin and end for him in the same way: wrestling.

Surrounded by challengers, Crazy Hand deemed the time appropriate to go off into a fit of thrashing. Banging on the ground and flicking his wrist and waving his fingers wildly, he sent the Smashers into flying disarray. Link and Young Link collided into each other along with the side of the green spire on the right. Sheik tumbled through the air, knocked about by the spasmodic hand. Bowser, too heavy to bounce very high, was flattened by Crazy Hand's weight repeatedly, unable to escape the hand deity's wrath. Their movement was akin to a group of astronauts ricocheting around inside a bouncy castle—without the cushion.

After a painful and very unpleasant segment of time in which this persisted, Link eventually managed to grasp ahold of the flat top of the spire; his younger self clung onto his boot, pulling him down inadvertently. Using the strength embedded in his Golden Gauntlets, the Hero of Time lifted his body along with that of Young Link above and over the edge of the spire. The flat surface was so small, however, that they could not both stand upon it at once. So Young Link crawled across the top of the spire, gripped the opposite side of the spire, pulled himself down so he was hanging below the safer end, and let himself drop the seven or eight feet to the castle top beneath. Bowser climbed similarly onto the middle segment of the battlements, which Sheik collapsed upon soon afterward.

Link and Young Link followed up with a volley of arrows, flaming, freezing, or neither, against their opponent, hoping he wouldn't realize there was no one still trapped in his self-provoked tantrum. Sheik did the same with her needle spikes, while Bowser turned his back on them and observed Ganondorf's solitary endeavor against Master Hand. The bombardment was enough to cause their enemy to halt, however, and they prepared for Crazy Hand's retaliation.

"RAAAAAARGH!" Crazy Hand balled into a fist and began pounding on the spire like a rude solicitor upon a door, each hit carrying the force of a giant's footstep, shaking the entire castle. Link staggered at the edge, and cried out as the spire tilted over and then fell, causing him to descend with it. The top of the spire protruded over the edge of the wall after crashing onto the surface. Link toppled over uncontrollably, rotating both horizontally and vertically, and bound for the ground hundreds of feet below, but knowing that he would vanish into a white void before reaching it. He shot his Longshot—a longer form of Hookshot—blindly behind him in the direction of the castle as he fell, and felt a skip of relief as it connected securely with something.

Young Link had been made to dive forward in order to avoid being crushed by the spire, and turned his head to see Link's Longshot shoot above him and snag onto Crazy Hand. "Link! WAIT!"

But by the time the 10-year-old was able to utter his warning, Link had already pressed the latch to initiate it pulling him back to where it had attached, which was undoubtedly an unsafe destination. Link had scarcely the time to see where he was headed before Crazy Hand's fist jerked forward and plowed into him like a ping pong paddle, detaching the Longshot and sending him back in the other direction, only faster. Link wished he had done more to damage the two hands as he disappeared in a horizontal splash of white light, his consciousness joining the other ten in the void.

Ganondorf, ignorant of all this, yelled in passionate exasperation as he began to bend down before Master Hand, losing momentum in the colossal duel of strength and power. He couldn't fail, not now, not to the one being he desired to overcome more than any other in the Nintendo Universe.

But in a couple of seconds, he was about to.

A beastly roar of confrontational bellicosity sounded from behind as King Bowser leapt down and strained against Master Hand alongside his fellow villain. The Koopa's strength, combined with what was left of Ganondorf's, was sufficient enough to turn the tables. Master Hand was pushed back, his palm turning upward until it had nearly been flipped over, being parallel with the ground. Bowser rammed his spiked shell underneath the hand's wrist, and pushed it upwards abruptly, striking Master Hand with his numerous spikes and two curved horns. Ganondorf simultaneously landed an uppercut laced with rippling purple energy into the palm.

Master Hand retreated over the edge, plainly surprised to have been bested even in such a little thing as a wrestling contest. But although there were no facial features to show it (and thank goodness there weren't), the resident of the giant room was also amused and impressed by the competition. "Ah, what a coincidence…the Nintendo World's two fiercest villains, setting aside their differences and combining their efforts against a third, superior one. I shall be sure to note this correlation in the descriptions I create to accompany your trophies!"

"Eat Poison Shrooms, you oversized sanitary device!" bellowed Bowser.

Master Hand laughed. "I'm afraid I cannot do so, Bowser; you see, I have eliminated the necessity of such primitive mortal activities…"

Ganondorf was ready to reengage. "Begone, horrid Thing of limited embodiment. _We_ have a more fitting place in this world than you…and all we do is antagonize it. You claim to be a master of creation. Well, whoever created _you_ must have been some lunatical fool who merely wanted to add a useless character to plague our lands."

"Hm," was Master Hand's only response before the reengagement.

In a monumental display that would be documented for ages thereafter as one of the most classic clashes of all the Nintendo World's history, the two Nintendo villains nodded to each other and set to work teaming up against Master Hand. There was no such thing as a light hit in this struggle; every second and every motion counted. Bowser and Ganondorf, although not the speediest of characters, did all they could to avoid Master Hand's various flicks, drilling, slapping, smashing, and attempts to grab ahold of them. The pair of notorious kings then, when they could, combined their abilities to try and fit in a decent retaliation to Master Hand's assaults. Some occasions, Bowser would release streams or short bursts of fire, while Ganondorf would find a satisfactory position from which to attack the preoccupied foe with kicks, punches, knee jabs, or even swings of his extremely large and heavy sword, each being coated in purple energy, and often accompanied by a furious yell. Other circumstances, Ganondorf would initiate by shoving Master Hand during a temporary stall into the short wall between the green shingled area and the central platform, while Bowser would take advantage of this with a swipe of his sharp claws, a ram with his head, or a gravity-assisted Bowser Bomb from above. They clearly proved to be the Master Hand's most formidable challenge as of yet.

Master Hand at one point was back over the left edge of Hyrule Castle once more, and then Bowser, not being in a state of mind to think through his processes very thoroughly, did something incredibly daring but destined to have dire consequences for at least one side. Leaping from the ledge of the central battlements, the enlarged turtle defied the laws of physics once again by soaring skywards a number of feet, and then, flipping over so his tail and underside faced down, boldly executed a monstrous dive-bomb, pressing down upon Master Hand with great force. Ganondorf watched in astonishment as the suicidal Bowser Bomb forced both Koopa and hand into a swift descent along the ramparts of the castle, and both vanished below.

Ganondorf could not see satisfactorily down the wall to determine what happened consequently, but there _was_ a splash of whiteness. And as nothing happened for several moments afterward, the Gerudo began to believe that Master Hand had been vanquished along with Bowser, and that the sacrifice had single-handedly brought the hand god's reign to an end.

But alas, it was not to be so.

He heard the deep laugh before the actual reappearance; tightening his fists and gritting his teeth angrily, he scowled contemptuously and in slight disappointment as the enormous hand reappeared, unharmed by the boundaries of the battlefield, unlike Bowser. It was another example of explicit injustice, Ganondorf thought: Master and Crazy Hand had only one means of being defeated, and that was through the depletion of their vitality. The Smashers, on the other hand, could be defeated by simply being knocked off the top, bottom, left, _or_ right side of the stage. This was abominable. It called for vengeance—vengeance he was more than willing to extract. He drew his sword.

Young Link retreated back to join Sheik as Crazy Hand returned from his expulsion of the boy's future self, relentless and tireless. The maniacal fingers shot forth both barrages of missiles and blue lasers alike, making it more difficult than ever to avoid being hit. Young Link cried out as a missile blasted into him, knocking him back several yards, while Sheik, despite her agile figure, was nearly maimed by a jet of laser energy which tore through the blue cloth on her arm and made a sizeable gash. Both were pushed even further back, unable to make an offensive move without risking destruction. Young Link caught a glance of Ganondorf and Master Hand nearby behind him, but there was no time to turn around. It was impossible to side-step and navigate around the raging Crazy Hand before him, and it was best if he and Sheik refrained from backing up any further lest they be sliced into bite-sized morsels or flattened like pancakes. They were at an inescapable impasse.

Young Link's eyes widened as Sheik stopped avoiding projectiles; in a flash, she drew out a smooth, exquisitely carved bow, and fitted to it an arrow with a tip glowing with the yellow brightness of the sun. Crazy Hand focused a multitude of missiles on her, and as she was consumed in an explosion of missiles, her hand released the Light Arrow, which seared through the air like the wings of justice and pierced the square center of Crazy Hand's palm.

The exalted counterpart bawled in excruciating pain as the Light Arrow passed through him and then vanished into the distance with a twinkle. Sheik was torpedoed by the missile concentration past Master Hand into the void on the left end. After several seconds of spasms and jerks as he shook off the aftereffects of the magical arrow, Crazy Hand regained his composure and lifted himself into midair above the battlements again, more rabid than ever.

Now only hero and nemesis remained to face the divine hand duo—but they had run out of available space. They were almost being sandwiched together as Young Link's back met Ganondorf's, both with swords drawn. The last red rays of sunlight were fading between them.

The Hands laughed. "A valiant effort, humans," Master Hand said, "but…it is finished…" Both giant opponents formed fists, the knuckle joints jutting forward like two rows of bony guillotines, and made ready to smash into each other. But they didn't anticipate what Young Link was doing.

The green-garbed boy had out the Ocarina of Time to his lips, and was blowing a tune into it, closing his eyes and swaying from side to side to the simple haunting melody. The hands hesitated in their finishing blow, thrown off by the awkwardness of what the Kokiri kid was doing. Even Ganondorf expressed a brief look of confusion—but then, he realized what his young rival was up to, and nodded, acknowledging the boy's quick-thinking skills.

The tune was soon inexplicably taken over by a whole symphony of music, deepening the emotional versatility and the soft, flowing layers of each string or wind or percussion instrument. And then the music began to increase in tempo. With it, a slight drizzle of rain initiated its descent upon every person, place, or thing below. But the tempo kept speeding up, faster and faster, and with it, the pressure and density of the precipitation, until before long it became a downpour, blurring the colors of the pre-dimensional world around them. Lightning flashed in skeletal streaks amidst the dark gray clouds which had formed above them in the dusk, followed soon after by booming thunderclaps. The wind picked up, flurrying past them, until the fruits of Young Link's Song of Storms took full effect. Around him and Ganondorf, the wind took on a circular swirling motion, forming a rising funnel which rapidly rose into a small twister. The two residents of Hyrule began to feel their feet lift off the ground…

Crazy Hand cursing, he and his brother wasted no more time in proceeding with their fist crash, not wanting their quarry to escape their clutches. But they were just a bit too late as the whistling, shrieking twister picked Young Link and Ganondorf up off the castle-top and rotated them in uncontrollable circuits, elevating with each cycle. Finally, after reaching the height of the twister, they were shot straight upward, as high as the tallest spire of Hyrule Castle, and found themselves looking down dozens of yards upon their eluded adversaries below. The rain soaked them to their skin, their damp hair flickering amidst the gale.

At the peak of their whirlwind-assisted rise, Young Link gazed at Ganondorf, who stared back, dark face alive with contempt for the Hands, so consumed that in his rage he did not consider his traditional animosity which he was supposed to show against the boy. With another accepting nod, he turned away, as did the boy, as they began to fall.

Ganondorf plunged his feet straight downward, allowing no chance for his target to avoid his strike. He bent his knees, and then kicked down with all his might, the joined force of the storm and his shapely leg muscles pounding the bewildered Master Hand onto the green shingles. Leaping off the Hand, he quickly drew his dark blade, and lifted it ceremonially. As he struck at Master Hand, however, his opponent rolled over, bulky as a rhinoceros as the hand was, and rose to face him from another side. Bringing up the heavy sword again, Ganondorf yelled as he swung it over his right shoulder at Master Hand once more—but this time it was met with a hard _clang_. The Gerudo's eyebrows rose. This hand god had a new trick up his invisible sleeve.

Similarly, Young Link plunged his Kokiri Sword down towards Crazy Hand on the center stage, and succeeded in dealing considerable damage with the assistance of gravity. He rebounded back to the stone surface, and reaching into his tunic where he miraculously kept all his equipment, drew out a sizzling bomb, and tossed it at Crazy Hand. The lunatical warmonger simply caught it, however, and hurled it back at him at several times the speed he had. Young Link rolled forward, the bomb exploding where he had just been, and rose up mere inches away from the colossal white glove. He swung his lighter sword in an uppercut, expecting to make harmful contact with his foe. But just as with Ganondorf, something equally as hard clanged with his sword, blocking his hit. Young Link cried out in surprise as he grasped the unexpected new technique which had been used to shield his attack.

From the tips of each of the hands' five fingers, black, pointy protrusions extended beyond about two feet, glossy and deadly like sharpened obsidian. These were what appeared to be razor-sharp fingernails, and were apparently strong enough to withstand the blows of hand-to-hand combat weapons, no matter how large, as demonstrated with Ganondorf. And so hero and villain engaged in the most challenging, high-staked, and bizarre sword fight of sorts they had ever experienced.

Young Link held up his wooden Kokiri Shield to protect himself from Crazy Hand's ring finger and pinky, and dueled the other three fingers with the sword in his left hand. Crossing "blades" with the second and third ones, he jumped as the thumb sliced at his feet. Then, once he landed, Young Link shoved against the two black fingernail-like points with all the might of a ten year old hero, and landed a sharp jab in between two of the fingers. But this left no time to relax, for while his sword arm was kept busy, Crazy Hand's fourth and fifth fingers caused additional trouble, trying to circumvent the shield. It was like no enemy he'd previously faced.

Ganondorf took a less conservative approach against Master Hand, aiming to chop the fingernail blades clean off, but no matter how hard he swung, the obsidian-like points remained firm and intact. It was almost harder for him than his juvenile rival, for he had less widespread means of defending against the jabs of Master Hand's fingers. It was like combating a miniature five-headed hydra with knives for tongues: each finger moved independently, for Master Hand had such thorough control and coordination over them that before long he was sweating on top of the torrential rain. He yelled as he bounded over the tyrant, slicing the top of the white hand while performing a full front flip in the air, his ragged cape billowing behind him. Landing on the other side, facing the sky, he was only just able to spin around and meet four of Master hand's black fingernails with his thick blade. He noticed the fifth point, the thumb, was not present. Peering around to locate this missing threat, his reflexes saved him as the point came flying at his head from around the side of his sword; he grasped the near side of the log-wide thumb, the long black point halting mere inches from his throat. The Triforce of Power glowed brighter than ever on the hand holding Master Hand back, the fact that he could hold the other four fingers back with a sword using only one hand proving the great extent of the energy it gave him.

Young Link panted as Crazy Hand backed away slightly from their battle. He suffered from several deep cuts from the deadly fingertips, and unlike Ganondorf, could hardly match his opponent's brawn. Bracing himself, he brought his shield up and raised his sword protectively as Crazy Hand backed away further, and then soared in a high arc, palm flat, down upon the hero. He screamed in pain, however, as his measly wooden shield was crushed and splintered by the slap, and his small body was bone-crushingly flattened. His sword ill-fatedly ended up sticking out in the gap between two of Crazy Hand's fingers. The only things keeping him alive were Master Hand's rules and the low-quality resilience granted to the dwellers of the Dimension Conflux. But it was over for him; everything went black before his distorting, water-beaded vision, and he was not even conscious as Crazy Hand threw him off the side of the castle, being sped along by the pounding deluge.

The Triforce of Power exerted the last surge of its potency during Ganondorf's and Master Hand's standoff, allowing the Gerudo one last passionate swipe, one that would have cleaved off any corporeal limb, yet only caused the hand's figure to flash purple as it took in the damage. And then the force of the rebound jarred the blade out of the dark king's hands, and the black-pointed thumb pinned him by his shoulder to the castle top, inflicting an agonizing prick which stung and throbbed like a hot poker impaled through his flesh.

Ganondorf had no strength left to struggle; neither would he have done so even if he had the strength, for he would not allow his conquerors such satisfaction. Master Hand and Crazy Hand loomed above him, the rain pattering onto his face and into his eyes, so he could barely see. But from what he could see, he deemed the pointy black-tipped gloves to look like the claws of some repulsive creature, monstrous and undeserving of anything less than utter annihilation.

Both Hands laughed. "You have put up a worthy fight, dark king," commended Master Hand. "Truly you have well earned your place among the Greats. But not the Great_ests_, unfortunately. I wish you an interesting existence as part of my collection. Farewell, dark king…"

But even in defeat, the Gerudo streaked with his own dark blood smirked. "You have made a crucial mistake, great beings. Your time is up."

Ganondorf was sent skyrocketing into the dark clouds, where his silhouette vanished in an indistinguishable sparkle that was cloaked behind a final flash of lightning over the land of old Hyrule.

MASTER HAND: 351 CRAZY HAND: 347


	52. Chapter 17:5: The Great Fox

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{5} The Great Fox**

The Great Fox continued to fly across the darkened sky, firing lasers left and right at masses of Wire Frames on the sloping plain below. Although the huge numbers of fighting individuals on the purple land, surging with activity and clashing noises, was nearly indistinguishable in the night as far as who was on what side, Peppy's radar was able to track where clots of enemies were gathered away from the Alliance without him undertaking the impossible task of actually searching the ground with his own eyes. He expertly steered the craft while sending coordinates to the automatic laser turret mechanism on where to concentrate fire. For him, and many others, this was the battle of his lifetime, and nothing else mattered than doing all within his power. For the most part, he even remained oblivious to what was going on atop the Great Fox, except for heavy hits upon his hull, which he took to be enemy fire from below.

Illogically keeping up with the moving aircraft, Master and Crazy Hand materialized, once again, at either end of the stage. The view of the Great Fox's surface ranged from nose to stern, and Master Hand was directly above the ship's main guns while Crazy Hand was behind the wings, down near the flaming engines. In the background, night had fallen upon the Battlefields, the war prolonging itself indefinitely. The sky was a pure black-violet, and the multitudinous flecks of sparkling white stars dotted the sky, twinkling as if they were watching the battle intently.

In sequence from left to right, beginning a few yards distant from Master Hand and concluding at the top of the Great Fox on the fin-like protrusion which represented the swift tail of a fox, the next batch of Smashers appeared in quick succession. Mario and Luigi were bent down on one knee and then rose up to face their enemy, intending to reap full restitution for the death of Vivian. No longer bothering to adjust their color-coded caps or wipe their mustaches, the immortalized Mario Bros. stood side by side, ready to overcome the final obstacle of their long journeys. Mario's eyes were kindled with red flames which were trained fixedly upon Master Hand. The man in green gasped and jumped in surprise at the precariousness of their mobile battleground, never being one for heights. Trembling steadily, he turned back to join in his brother's glaring, hoping he could finally overcome his fears.

Donkey Kong, paying no heed to the distractions to the pilot his actions might cause, pounded his watermelon fists several times on the metal surface, almost denting it with strength he wasn't fully aware of. The primate's red tie fluttered in the chilling wind, his fur rippling in the breeze and keeping him warm. He would show these oversized gloves what he had come all the way from the Shroom Bar to accomplish.

Comrade pilots Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi alighted onto the peak of the aircraft, their confidence bolstered by the familiarity of the stage. Both taking out their blasters and peering over the edge of the peak, they spotted Crazy Hand below. Fox was determined to do all he could to protect Krystal, Slippy, and even Wolf from being forced to submit to such a vile, bizarre enemy. Falco, on the other hand, was motivated to fight with maximum performance in order to prove his skill as an individual and—hopefully—prevent the Great Fox from being damaged too severely in the process. But still, the generally independent falcon knew that he would also have to cooperate with Fox and the other three Smashers if they were to prevail.

Even less of a delay than before preceded the onrush of airborne combat. The constant action of war seemed to somehow speed things up, increasing their sense of urgency. Time might not be strictly limited, but just about everything else was.

In a blur of blue feathers, Falco sprung upward into the sky and then came surging back down into Crazy Hand, firing blue lasers from his dual blasters as he descended. He followed up by landing a hard kick onto the top of the hand's wrist, not waiting for Fox or anyone else. He was a loyal teammate when it came to missions, although he couldn't help but be a loner at heart.

Fox sighed. "Same old Falco." The leader of team Star Fox followed after his friend. Jumping shortly over the top of the peak, he halted in midair as he caused waves of flames arrayed like a comet to appear around him, and then, after a moment of holding in energy, released the fury of Fire Fox upon Crazy Hand's fingers.

As can be imagined, the diabolical counterpart was not at all happy with two animals attacking him from above. Keeping his fingertips in the same spot, he swiftly tilted his wrist counterclockwise, moving like the hand of a clock, and slammed the two pilots into the side of the peak. This was followed up by backing a couple dozen yards behind the Great Fox's engines, and then rushing back as a fist, punching at the side of the peak repeatedly. Sometimes either or both of the Star Fox members were caught in the smashing, and others they were still too out of control from a previous hit, bouncing up from the surface, to recover from the assault. It was not a pleasant experience for Fox and Falco.

Luigi leapt on top of Mario's shoulders, and with Mario gripping his brother's feet and Luigi holding his arms out like he was playing airplane, they jumped in unison and spun rapidly, colliding against Master Hand like a whirling top. Donkey Kong, behind them, was busy swinging his arm in a circle, gathering strength. The hand laughed even through the damage, and with a light motion, drew back and flicked Luigi clean off Mario's shoulders. The younger brother cried out as only Luigi could as he careened over towards the other end of the craft, soaring higher as he went. Still spinning with his arms out like a helicopter, he then began descending gradually, controlling his movement in an attempt to land fixedly on the ship's peak. The world was a rotating blur before his eyes; he could hardly see where he was going.

However, Master Hand had found it appropriate to, atop a legendary gunship such as the Great Fox, unleash some firepower of his own. Mario hadn't the time to rebalance himself after the dizzying experience before he was blown away past Donkey Kong by a Bullet Bill-esque missile (minus the face). A number of additional missiles sped through the air in a spread-out formation toward the green helicopter.

"Mama mia!" Luigi, used to being in the air from several of his adventures, nevertheless was alarmed by the incoming unfriendly objects. These kinds of things always seemed to happen to him. Tilting the path of his spinning descent hard to the left, he just barely was able to land on top of the uppermost missile. His brown shoes kicked off of it, sending it off course and propelling himself higher into the air. While most of the missiles continued on to explode harmlessly in midair when their duration was spent, the last two, pink in color, tilted around almost intelligently to seek him out.

Taking a huge risk, Luigi decidedly veered back towards them, and then flung from his extended fingertips many small green fireballs, which fanned out all around, hoping that he would hit his targets before they hit theirs.

The results were divided. One of the homing missiles was destroyed by the barrage of green fireballs, exploding harmlessly, but the other one came sneakily from below, bursting upon contact with Luigi's feet.

"Umph!" Luigi's front was blackened, the ends of his mustache singed from the blast, but he fortunately suffered no further, lasting damage. His helicopter float ceased as he dropped straight down to near Mario's position, a felled flyer.

Now it was Donkey Kong's turn. The ape propelled himself on his balled fists at Master Hand, kicking with his nimble feet. The hand backed away, however, causing the kick to meet nothing but more air, and then lunged forward, grabbing the monkey.

That was a mistake.

DK to Master Hand was like grabbing an apple. The beast seethed and pushed at all sides as he was squeezed once, and then twice. And with a ferocious, bird-scattering bellow, his beefy arms wrenched the huge white fingers apart, and forced the monkey free of his opponent's grip.

This came as such a surprise to the incredulous Master Hand that DK was then able to lock his vast hands around two of the white fingers, and then pulled them away from each other with all the muscle-power his thick arms could provide. A definite crack could be heard, and Master Hand actually screamed in pain as his fingers seemed to be dislocated or something of that sort. With another loud snap, he cracked it back into place, and flung the Kong away with a furious swish.

But Donkey Kong held on.

Clinging onto the index finger like it was a thrashing anaconda (which he had experience with), the primate inched his way along the glove until he reached the end of the finger. Then, holding onto it with only his knees, he brought up both fists and pounded them down with tremendous force.

Master Hand brought his fingers together, and ignited a rocket-like jet of flame from his wrist, which launched both him and the monkey into the sky.

Keeping up with the Great Fox below, Master Hand wrangled with Donkey Kong, as much a duel of strength as it had been against Ganondorf—except they were moving. Master Hand spun around, executed flips and sudden jerks, but the stubborn ape would simply not relinquish his hold.

Staggering onto the back of the hand's wrist, Donkey Kong crouched on the rocket-driven surface like a professional surfer (he _had_ taken a few tips from Funky during the summer occasionally). Drawing out his Coconut Gun, DK fired several rounds of the exotic fruit at his "surfboard," each of which clanged hard into the hand and then broke and fell away, the pieces often landing on some unfortunate fighter far below. He stowed his gun away, and then, with a grunt, sprung daringly upward, almost losing his ground during his jump before he came hurtling back down with a heavy Simian Slam.

Master Hand dropped several feet, and then, fed up with this ridiculous caper, determined to end it. He sped up alarmingly, pressing far ahead of the Great Fox's path. DK, either ignorant of his doom or committed to defying his enemy to the very end, continued to pound upon the hand until the two of them vanished beyond the left side, and a white splash signified the monkey's defeat.

The Mario Bros, weakened from being scorched, had helped each other stagger to uprightness, and looking up at Master Hand versus Donkey Kong, saw there was nothing they could do to help.

Fox finally succeeded in using his Reflector to rebuke Crazy Hand's constant pounding and earn him and his fellow pilot a brief respite. Falco, enraged by the humiliation of being flung about like a rag doll, drew out an enormous, bright red rocket launcher, so big he had to hold it over his shoulder and bend his knees to support its weight.

Fox gaped at him. "Where'd you get that?" he cried.

Falco grinned. "I was saving it." And with that, he shot six large red rockets out of its barrel at Crazy Hand, each explosion provoking a maddened scream with an increasingly higher decibel measure. The kickback of each shot caused the bird to slide back a couple feet. After the gun was empty, Falco casually tossed it over the edge of the Great Fox, and pretended to wipe his wings together. "So when are we going to begin the _real_ fight?"

"Operation Reflex Triangle," said Fox as Crazy Hand came at them again angrily.

Both Star Fox members drew their blasters, the pair having memorized a number of strategic team procedures since the days of Melee. Fox then aimed a shot at a spot above the space between them, which reverberated off the Reflector Falco had tossed up to that very spot. The red strip of concentrated heat angled down toward Falco, who used a second Reflector to cause it to bounce back to the one he had thrown. Fox reflected the same laser yet again, only now, the thrown Reflector having returned like a boomerang to Falco's hand, the laser proceeded to zoom into Crazy Hand, causing several times more damage than a normal shot due to being reflected four times.

The teammates repeated this process for about a minute, the laser and thrown Reflector traveling at such a high speed that the cooperative move was difficult to follow with the eye. Crazy Hand was held back by the constant stream of highly charged laser strips coming at him. Some he avoided, but most met their mark. The engines blazed from over the nearby edge, illuminative in the night air.

"Yah!"

From above, Mario and Luigi brought their fists down upon Crazy Hand, and then dropped to the ship's surface. Allowing Operation Reflex Triangle to continue, the Mario Bros. further wore away at their superlative opponent with punches, kicks, and head bonks. Crazy Hand screamed in fury and agony, battering them away with reckless swipes and punches, all of which the experienced Smashers were able to avoid, especially with four ganging up on one.

Mario began to realize even further why Master Hand's function for the Smash Ball was so significant; had they been able to take the Hands on as the Original 25 together, they would have had the advantage.

But now…

Master Hand came to his brother's aid from an unexpected direction: behind them, perpendicular to the ship, so that if the battle were to be viewed on a screen, it would appear as if he were rushing toward the viewer. Still fueled by his rocket wrist, Master Hand's fist crashed through the middle of the lower sector of the Great Fox, striking Fox and Mario, who happened to be standing near each other at the moment. Unfortunately, the two heroes were trapped in between the white knuckles, and were carried further over the edge of the Great Fox, and then allowed to drop with no hope of recovery. Two more splashes of whiteness ensued.

"Mario!" Luigi was at a loss of how to function now without his brother to follow.

Operation Reflex Triangle ceased immediately, of course, the last laser veering off into the distance in a random direction. Crazy Hand flicked Luigi into the wall of the peak next to Falco, and Master Hand returned from behind the Great Fox to hover beside his brother menacingly.

The two tyrants laughed. "This amuses me, Lefty. We now find ourselves facing two sidekicks, two less prominent figures in their regions who were never able to amount to the worthiness of the superior hero. I do wonder how they will fare alone, without their front-runners to instruct and guide their every move…"

That got to Falco. "Why, you cheeky..."

But Luigi had placed a gloved hand on the fowl's shoulder. The traditional housekeeper of the Mario residence now realized what had _really_ held him back from being as much of a star as Mario: himself. They had to have confidence in themselves, but could not afford to face either Master or Crazy Hand alone.

Because that was what Master Hand wanted.

"We a-have to do this together," Luigi said, having the better control over his emotions than Falco.

Falco looked like he was going to shove past Luigi at first, but then, slowly, his fuming simmered down, and he reigned in his emotions, still passionately provoked against the being who had insulted him, but able to control his actions more wisely. "You're…right. Let's do this."

The two "sidekicks" nodded at one another, and then, as one, confronted the hand-shaped arbiters.

The Hands employed a certain sadistic form of teamwork of their own, making them a true challenge for the two oft-forgotten heroes to combat against. Falco and Luigi several times were almost overwhelmed by their opponents' sheer size and the difficulty of dodging their widespread attacks in such an enclosed section of the Great Fox. Synchronized claps, fist crunches, flicks, swipes, and palm poundings were examples of the manner of physical opposition which the Smashers faced. In between these relentless assailments, Falco and Luigi piped in comparably minor strikes of their own: kick-flips, spinning wing clips, and Falco Phantasms from the former; jabs, multidirectional Green Missiles, and fireballs from the latter. However, they did not always get off unscathed from Master Hand and Crazy Hand; both sides took considerable damage during the 2-on-2 match.

The Battlefields continued to scroll by; the progress of the war below was always writhing with motion, and yet actual headway made by the Alliance army was nearly as slow as watching a plant grow. Simply put, little changed.

The fight atop the Great Fox had to culminate eventually, however. The two Smashers' most effective approach was when Falco used his Reflector to bounce one of Luigi's green fireballs away and consequentially burn one of the Hands. While Falco was reflecting, he was flattened by an open slap from Crazy Hand before the fireball reached him. Luigi was snatched in one of Master Hand's death grips in the same instant, and suddenly, it was over.

"So…_WEAK_…"

"So…_pathetic…disappointing…"_

Neither Melee participant preferred to think about how they were disposed of after that, instead allowing themselves to drift into the dark subconscious state that awaited them. Only one thought occupied their minds as they fell into the void. Unable to recall what the special contacts on their eyes had last reported on the Hands' remaining stamina, they worried about the task they had left behind for those to come.

Had they done enough?

MASTER HAND: 202 CRAZY HAND: 76


	53. Chapter 17:6: The Return of the Trophies

**Chapter 17: Final Destination**

**{6} The Return of the Trophies**

The scene had returned to where Master Hand had initially addressed the Original 25: the purple metal platform, kept aloft by the shining black sphere beneath it. The same beautiful, climactic space view sparkled in the background and all about them. This place was location-less, in a space between spaces, similar even to the space in the Dimension Conflux, but restricted to black and purple streaks and shades. It would come to be known thereafter as Final Destination. And yet, somewhere within those stars, one got the impression that a heavenly, otherworldly force was watching with bated breath, praying for the victory of the righteous—possibly among them being the Seven Star Spirits, them and all the other minor stars sending their spiritual strength and waiting to see what the fate of their universe would be.

It was impossible to tell if Master or Crazy Hand, as they reappeared here, noticed this distant presence; either circumstance, however, did not affect what was at stake, and who would leave with everything. Although they did not don Adversary Analyzers like the Smashers, they were very much aware of how much life force remained within themselves, and were now all but finished with toying with their victims; Master Hand was impatient, anxious to see to the completion of his plan. No mercy would be shown—nor lack of effort.

And then—the last of the Original 25 who had not been consumed by the unforgiving void. Showing no outward trepidation, they were nevertheless mindful of how much pressure was laid on their shoulders. If they couldn't end it here, no one ever would. Each hero recognized as well the galactic crowd interspersed throughout the Nintendo Universe, waiting for the last stand of the individuals representing everything they hoped and dreamed for: freedom, safety, security, and above all, genuine, long-lasting peace in their beloved world. But, contrasting this, the spreading darkness of Master Hand's evil will seemed to be visibly engulfing the galaxies in slow, seductive masses of purple fog which signified the impending reign of a morbid age, irrevocably consuming the familiar, blessed world they knew. From the looks of it, Master Hand would be giving no second chances.

Pikachu sparked with energy, so fed up with being rendered unable to help his friends that he looked like he was ready to let loose several thunderstorms' worth of electricity upon his captor. Princess Peach, sharing a similar sentiment, but slightly more vengeful, struggled to control her unstable emotions; thinking of everything her people, her friends, her heroes had been put through in her absence, all because of a tyrant wanting to build a trophy collection, infused her with a royal fury which could not have been matched by any male—including Crazy Hand. She was not overly fond of repetitions of her vulnerable past. They had picked the wrong princess to capture this time.

On the opposite end, the left, facing he whom Master Hand called "Lefty," Captain Falcon made his appearance. Like Pikachu and Peach, he had so much energy bottled up from his immobile imprisonment that he was aching to unleash it upon the ones responsible. Only he had a more…practical way of doing so, involving plenty of physical contact. Beside him, the fellow bounty hunter Samus Aran stood erect, already aiming her arm cannon at Crazy Hand as she faded in. The fourth one to suffer from existing as a trophy for months, the chosen of the Chozo, above everything else, Samus resented all the action she'd already missed, and fully intended to make up for it within the next few minutes with some good old technological magic. From behind the visor of her Power Suit, the aspiring woman felt ready for just about anything. Master Hand wanted a show? She would most certainly give him one.

It almost made sense why the Hands had decided to leave their former captives for last.

Finally, undaunted by any change in scenery or setting due to his diverse experience, Dr. Mario materialized in the center of the stage, apparently being given the choice of which enemy to take on first. He had hoped to have been given the opportunity to fight alongside his identical duplicate, but vaguely he knew the main reason he had been singled out. Still, there was no time to dwell on such things, for he had a final showdown to finish—a war to win. Knowing his two-dimensional home was not exempt from the bounds of Master Hand's influence were the Alliance to fail, the only hero with a PhD considered his options. Finding a good battle strategy wouldn't hurt their chances.

Master Hand still had over 200 hit points remaining, making that a difficult foe to finish—especially with another one not allowing anyone to rest from behind. But Crazy Hand…_he_ had only 76 points of stamina left. _That_ was a foreseeable goal to strive towards even during a multi-opponent battle, even more so if they were to work together. And if they could narrow down the fight to a single adversary…

…they _might_ just have a chance. Even with the dauntingly large amount of health they would have to deplete once that goal was reached. It was going to be close.

The doctor pondered briefly on this, with as little time as one had when a match was commencing, and then made up his mind.

"Everyone! Direct all your attacks at Crazy a-Hand!"

And so it began.

Both Hands fired up a crossfire of blue lasers from each of their fingers, overlapping each other and, as they moved around, making themselves almost as hard to dodge as rain. Samus curled herself into her Morph Ball form, and rolled about, bouncing occasionally to avoid the lasers, and maneuvered her way slowly towards Crazy Hand. Captain Falcon dived and rolled perpendicularly from the danger zone, and then ran athletically around and in between the wider-spread beams to get at Crazy Hand as well. Dr. Mario cringed as a laser singed his left arm, and, similar to Falcon, flipped his way to near the edge of the platform, and attempted to toss Megavitamins at the enormous left hand during the constant hazardous motion. Most of the bouncing pills were incinerated by the interlacing lasers, but a couple found their mark. Pikachu turned into a blur as he made use of Agility to whiz through the lasers and end up behind Crazy Hand. Peach, apart from the others, jumped purposely in front of Master Hand's beams and held up her loyal servant Toad, whose spores counteracted one or more of the beams again and again, making it easier for the rest to focus on their target.

"Piiiii….kaaaaaa….CHUUUUUUUUUU!" A tremendous bolt of lightning spawned from the sky and struck down onto Pikachu, shocking Crazy Hand along the way. Both Hand and mouse flashed black and white skeletally, and the former screamed, as he always did, and terminated his lasers. Before Pikachu could regain control after taking in the last of the lightning, he was jabbed at by a giant white finger and sent over the edge. While he recovered, Captain Falcon came at Crazy Hand with a knee raised in the move often labeled the "Knee of Death." Crazy Hand was too quick, however, and rolled over in the air, evading the F-Zero participant entirely. He balled into a fist and pounded upon the man like an uncontrollable hammer.

Simultaneously, Dr. Mario and Pikachu came from either side and attacked Crazy Hand as he struck the ground, the doctor kicking from a sideward position, and the Pokemon bashing headfirst, sending several small jolts of electricity into his opponent. Samus, no longer hindered by all but a few of the beams, expanded out of the Morph Ball and triggering her flamethrower at Crazy Hand's knuckles, the fire licking along the rubbery white material.

Crazy Hand went berserk, writhing on the ground, twisting and jerking around in order to throw off all his challengers. Captain Falcon was able to crawl away in the meantime, holding his nearly destroyed helmet in pain, but very much glad he had it. Dr. Mario stood back up and glanced through his contacts at the enemy's health count.

"Only 27 hit-a-points left! Keep a-going!"

Master Hand made an end to his own lasers, and faced the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom individually. Light and surprisingly quick, Peach whisked around her captor, out-maneuvering Master Hand's wide-ranged attacks and striking with fierce little slaps, kicks (which were difficult in a dress), and occasional swings of her golf club, tennis racket, and frying pan. Her hair flailed about her shoulders, her pink dress swishing with delayed movement, her heart pounding faster than during any previous capture by Bowser.

But she shrieked as she felt the enormous white fingers wrap around her body and compress her into Master Hand's steely grip. She pounded her slender arms on the index finger like the girl in King Kong, but helplessly.

Master Hand laughed. "Ha ha ha! Look at it this way, princess…Mario will never have to rescue you again!"

At almost the same instant, coincidentally, Crazy Hand had gotten ahold of Pikachu in an even tighter grip than Master Hand's. The Pokemon squealed bleakly, his pitch ascending then descending. "Pikaaa…"

"Mama mia!" Dr. Mario cried as he saw the two hands, particularly Master Hand, chuck their cargo over the edge, down towards the ever-stretching space. Feeling just as protective over the princess as his other self, he raced over to the drop-off and watched hopelessly as Peach descended. He was caught off-guard, however, when the princess opened out her carnation parasol and floated slowly downward toward the endless abyss, waiting with eyes clenched tight for the passage into the void.

Samus, closer to Peach and thinking fast, suddenly cast herself off the side of the stage, tilted head-first like a skydiver, and flung her grapple beam at the damsel in distress. The luminous, sparkling extension wrapped around both the handle of the umbrella and Peach's delicate hands, and with a strained tug, Samus cast her catch back over the edge of the platform. She then made a close call in recovering herself by spinning upward in a Screw Attack, ending barely close enough to grip the metallic edge and pull herself back up with a heave.

Pikachu, on the other hand (no pun intended), was not so lucky.

Dr. Mario leapt at Master Hand and performed a Dr. Mario Tornado, whirling against the glorified glove in a rapid succession of blows. Similarly, Falcon, finally out of his cranial discombobulation, pounced swiftly onto Crazy Hand's equivalent of a back and delivered quick sequential punches, bringing his target extremely close to defeat, and accompanying each hit with a chant of masculine effort.

But on the very brink of destruction, with all save three hit points depleted, Crazy Hand bumped the driver off of him like an angry bull, and then rose to a height unreachable by the Smashers. In an outburst of unheard-of proportions, even for a maniac like him, Crazy Hand unleashed a barrage of multiple chaotic bombardments at once. Purple explosives, lasers, and missiles: all of these things began raining upon Samus, Falcon, and Peach, while Dr. Mario continued to duel Master Hand off to the side. All three suffered unaffordable damage from this onrush of projectiles, gravity working against them, the attacks moving too quickly to easily avoid.

At last, the mushroom princess created a narrow space of shelter by holding the brave Toad above her, whose constant releasing of spores kept her and the other two who joined her safe. They looked up at Crazy Hand's craziest revolt yet, and after sharing frantic, questioning looks, realized how to overcome it.

Princess Peach, without a word, handed the brave, willing Toad to Captain Falcon, reached into the metal ground, and illogically plucked out a melon-sized turnip with a confused, swirly-eyed face. Samus aimed straight upward and shot a thick, slow-moving missile which began to ascend nearer to Crazy Hand. However, they knew that a missile would have no chance of penetrating the constant downpour of unfriendliness, and so had chosen the turnip as the ideal vessel, its magical properties making it resilient enough to withstand such pressure. So, Peach carefully tossed the dazed turnip at an angle so it was directly above Samus's missile as it came back down. The force of the missile's explosion launched the vegetable up, through the lasers, bombs, and explosives, and, with a dramatic _pop_, it bounced into Crazy Hand, ending his rampage of terror.

Acting like the turnip had been the sting of a fatal insect, Crazy Hand screamed louder and more hatefully than ever as the truck-sized figure was engulfed in a number of explosions, which rendered him shapeless until, with a burst of pearly violet fireworks, he was dissolved into nothing.

"RAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"

The brother, finding his counterpart to be no more, yelled in outrage, and sweeping Dr. Mario aside, catapulted himself at Princess Peach, Crazy Hand's conqueror. The poor girl didn't have a chance; in a blur of white, Master Hand flashed past Samus and Falcon, and forced her out of the battlefield, sending her spitefully into the void.

Then, slowly turning around, he gradually floated back to confront the three survivors, for the first recorded time looking as angry as his companion.

"This ends NOW!"

The hand dive-bombed in a fell twisting swoop, passing closely over the ducking Smashers' heads, and flipping back around to face them again on the other side.

Falcon grinned crookedly. "He's only got 'hundred fifty-one left! We can beat 'im!"

"You two distract him; I'll deliver some real damage," said Samus.

Both the other Smashers stood with mouths agape, staring in befuddlement at the Power-Suited woman.

"You a-know that's the first thing you've a-said the whole story," Dr. Mario remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Samus did not reply, eyes still fixed on Master Hand, so the two males glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and turned their attention back to the showdown.

Side by side, Captain Falcon and Dr. Mario ran forward, and then jumped up to meet Master Hand in combat. While they danced acrobatically around their final enemy in climactic battle, Samus powered up her Charge Shot, the ball growing into an atom-like sphere of blue-white energy.

Dr. Mario groaned as he was swatted down by the giant wrist. Even the speedy Falcon was having trouble remaining unscathed while keeping Master Hand's attention diverted.

_Just a little longer, guys…_ Samus thought.

One more second…then another…and…done! Her energy-based weapon was fully charged. Without hesitating, she let the sucker loose, the life-sized ball colliding into Master Hand critically just as he was about to flick the disturbingly tight-suited man off the stage.

The white hand turned briefly electric blue as the energy coursed unpleasantly through him. Kindled into fury yet again, Master Hand turned away from the other two, and came zooming at the bounty hunter the same way he had at Peach. Only this time, she was prepared.

Samus forced her heavy suit upward in a bounding jump, and then, with precise timing, smashed back down as Master Hand passed under, jamming her metal fist into her foe with a clang. Then, as her ride predictably began spinning and whatnot in order to dislodge her, she cleverly reverted to Morph Ball form, in which she could not only keep up with Master Hand's movements, but also eject several yellow-red-flashing bombs, which exploded immediately upon impact with the hand.

Dr. Mario and Captain Falcon came eagerly to assist the assault on the floating monstrosity, pitching in with Megavitamins, coin-yielding Super Jump Punches, Falcon Kicks (with vocalization), and another Knee of Death, this one actually hitting its target with a flinching thud.

Master Hand, without his counterpart to aid him, could not adequately regain control over the situation. He had had it. The whiteness of the voluminous glove glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost painful to look at, and then, after a moment in which everything seemed to freeze in place, all heck broke loose.

"I…WILL…NOT…LOSE!"

An unavoidable transparent sphere of some undefined force spread out rapidly from around Master Hand, raging against the last remaining Smashers. All three of them were pushed far out, too far away to recover: Falcon and Dr. Mario to the right end, past the edge of the platform, and Samus, vertically, until she vanished and spiraled into the distance, twinkling as if she were joining them—if one hadn't known any better.

The white sphere faded away, but it appeared that the two heroes who had been pushed off had no hope of returning.

That is, until Captain Falcon, making a comparatively small sacrifice, suddenly leapt at the doctor mid-fall and grabbed onto him bodily with all limbs, their descent stopping abruptly. "Yeeeesss!" A blast of Falcon-generated flames burnt the doctor, certainly, but the force of the pilot's gravity-defying stunt was enough to catapult him back to the stage. And with the leverage and space gained by the grab, Captain Falcon was then able to perform a _second_ midair leap, bringing himself just within reaching range of the edge.

The two Smashers stood up with narrowed eyes, glaring at their antagonist, knowing intuitively that the next display of moves would end the match—for better or for worse. They knew this also because their own strength had been severely, almost completely drained by the match, and Master Hand himself, the final hurdle in the way of saving the Nintendo World, had only 25 points of stamina remaining. One for each chosen Smasher…

Falcon gritted his teeth. Dr. Mario panted. The two shared one final look, turned to face the perverse creator, and made their last stand.

It was a blur of movement; neither seemed to be completely aware of what was happening. All they knew was that Dr. Mario had gone below for a slide-tackle, but had somehow been knocked away, too far away. And the captain had brought back his hand in a final gesture.

"FALCON…PUN—"

The man was terminated mid-speech as Master Hand punched him with a mighty, shocking slam. He disappeared beyond the rightmost side in a white splash, vanishing even faster than Dr. Mario…

_NO! This can't happen!_ the doctor panicked as he tumbled toward the abyss, heart shattered.

The hero reached into his coat, pressed a button, and then all went black.

…

The two Smashers stood up with narrowed eyes, glaring at their antagonist, knowing intuitively that the next display of moves would end the match—for better or for worse. They knew this also because their own strength had been severely, almost completely drained by the match, and Master Hand himself, the final hurdle in the way of saving the Nintendo World, had only 25 points of stamina remaining. One for each chosen Smasher…

Falcon gritted his teeth. Dr. Mario panted. The two shared one final look, turned to face the perverse creator, and made their last stand.

_WAIT!_ the doctor's thoughts screamed at him as they advanced in a blur. _You just went through this!_

_But…_ His brain clicked in sudden realization. _The last thing I remember doing was pressing a button instinctively…the RESET BUTTON, of course!_ His heart leaped in relief and joy, but then began beating frantically again, for now he had one chance, _ONE_, to make things end differently. But what _did_ he need to do differently?

There was no time to think. Images flashed by as they reached Master Hand again. But this time, Dr. Mario did _not_ attempt to slide-tackle underneath their nemesis. Instead, doing the first thing that came to his head, he whipped out his white cape and swung it past Master Hand, causing him to completely flip around.

Captain Falcon brought back his fist.

"FALCON…PAAAAUUNCH!"

The flaming red falcon joined the captain in delivering the final blow as Master Hand turned around.

Devastated by the titanic hit, the hand spun around several times, and then came to a halt of inexpressible disbelief.

A small explosion blasted against his palm.

"No…" Another blast, followed by several more. "NO…" Like Crazy Hand before him, a multitude of explosions engulfed the tyrant, disfiguring him beyond visibility and recognition.

"!"

A cascade of rainbow fireworks burst forth from where Master Hand had once been, the particles disappearing into glittering silver dust.

MASTER HAND: 0 CRAZY HAND: 0

…

All of a sudden, every enemy burst into purple smoke. Every Wire Frame, Space Pirate, even Kraid and Mother Brain, ceased to be present, leaving empty, awkward space behind them before the baffled Alliance warriors. Silence prevailed across the Battlefields and inside the room.

The Original 25 reappeared where they had been before being taken to Final Destination, as confused as the rest. They did not realize what had happened for a number of minutes which seemed like an eternity.

But.

Before anyone could begin cheering.

Before the smallest Goomba could utter a single cry of triumph at their victory.

The walls and ceiling of Master Hand's Room became transparent, allowing everyone a strange view in and out of the vast quarters.

Complete blackness overcame the entire sky, casting the Nintendo World in an overwhelming darkness. Nothing could be seen; any other light source was negated. It seemed like the world was coming to an end.

And descending where the whole Alliance could see, from the center of the darkness above Master Hand's Room, a mass of swirling amethyst currents slowly, purposefully, eloquently flowed down, giving off an otherworldly glow which seemed to thrive in the darkness. The rough sphere of undefined substance halted where every single defending Nintendonian had a clear perspective.

Mewtwo frowned, staring at the ominous mass from the east. Mentally expanding the scope of his mind to encompass all of the Alliance, he gave them one brief message.

_This…is not over yet._

**END OF CHAPTER...**

* * *

Hey, if you've read this far and still haven't taken the time to review my story, I'd really appreciate it. Just one chapter left...


	54. Chapter 18:1: The Exile

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{1} The Exile**

A man's silhouette presented itself out of the mass.

At first the looming shape was just pure, jet black, almost like Mr. Game & Watch. It stepped along the purple swirls like they were solid ground, striding casually until it found a suiting spot. It was a tall, stolid-looking figure, of medium build, its hands buried in what could be inferred by the outline to be pockets.

There was a long wait.

Every single pair of eyes was fixed upon this portentous figure, and not one of them blinked, transfixed in mystification, haunted by the somehow baleful presence.

Finally, it stepped forward again, and then, the altered positioning affecting the angle of the glowing purple light, its features were illuminated.

It was not what they had expected. Not what _anyone_ would have expected. Indeed, who would have predicted such a queer man to come out of such a surreal purple mass—and with an unrevealing smile, even? He was clothed in a full formal suit of a midnight blue jacket and plum-colored dress pants, the two colors blending together like a shadow deep within the ocean and the disturbed water surrounding it. But contrasting both of these hues were a plain scarlet tie as well as his erratic, dark hair—which was tinted with green, giving it the coloration of the blackest form of spinach imaginable, except with a greater richness, sleekness, and sheen that no other living thing could ever equal. It was combed to both sides neatly, split down the middle, but somehow still managed to have a prominent, symmetrical wave curving up and then down on each side like a perfectly rounded curly bracket. Black dress shoes opposed the pearly whiteness of the two white gloves covering his hands, both being as spotless and flawless as everything else about his appearance. The color of the skin on his face, however, was not particularly appealing: it was a faded, ghostly white tinted with a bit of gray and even a tiny tinge of pale blue. Above his pale-lipped smile, a straight, abruptly-edged nose bore the weight of protuberant obsidian-like sunglasses, rimless with very large lenses, completely hiding the man's eyes, and flashing knowingly from the purple illumination. The head itself was elliptical, taller than it was wide, and narrowing slightly to the blunt point of his bony chin.

And yet there seemed to be something more to him—besides the eerily familiar gloves, besides his strange, omniscient gaze. He could not be described as simply 3-D; there seemed to be more dimensions, more complexity to the stranger than the Nintendo World had previously encountered. It almost caused one to go cross-eyed looking at him; the viewer's brain became addled by the presence of too many details than should have been physically possible.

No one had ever seen him before, at least not like this, and yet it seemed something deep inside them, unconscious until this point, had been waiting the entire duration of their adventures to do so; this was unreserved, unconcealed. It was truth.

The lips parted, revealing correspondingly perfect teeth, purer than a bleached white T-shirt in a snowstorm. And from that mouth flowed a voice, a voice familiar in that it was by pitch and speaking patterns the very same as Master and Crazy Hand's, echoing with a deep stentorian power. But this voice also possessed a…musical, lighter tone to it, making each syllable sound like there was no other way it could possibly be said, like in speaking, he was declaring the definition of perfection through sound, taking his time with each word like it was a delicate package to be delivered. It was a voice that seemed to be made for making announcements.

His smile remained between each lip movement, a noticeable firmness to it. "Wonderful! Wonderful…absolutely perfect. I…have waited a long time for this day. And before anything else, I wish to offer the sincerest of congratulations to the lucky contestants in my game. You have all won…a prize. A prize so enormous, so priceless, that will have been well earned by your efforts. I speak to everyone, the entirety of the Nintendo World's population, but specifically, I'd like to give special recognition to the group of braves who deserve much of the credit. People of This World, please listen well as I greet our heroes."

Instantly, each of the Original 25 became coated with the same purple force, and, against each character's own will, was carried steadily through the air with no obvious effort on the stranger's part, through the transparent walls of the Room if necessary, until all of them were lined up in a cluster before him. Despite their general fearlessness, not one of them felt comfortable with their dire situation, and not one of them felt equal to the man their eyes were riveted to. They could breathe, move their mouths, and make other basic body motions, but their location was fixed, unchangeable.

The black-spectacled stranger continued to smile with enormous control. "What a remarkable thing it is that I, the rightful sovereign of this land, finally get to meet you esteemed individuals at last. From the very day I chose you for the tournaments, I knew I had made a fateful decision, which even now is coming into play. I offer you the highest commendations for the great strains, the extraordinary trials, the rigorous tests you passed and endured to make it here, to earn the privilege of hearing the _full_ truth of the existence of the Nintendo World and everything in it. So now, at the end of all things, I would suggest that you all relax; it is over, the final key has clicked into place, and the fate of my future dominion is sealed—as it has been all along, of course." He put one hand in a pocket, and with the other reached up and adjusted his sunglasses, which flashed at them as he did so. "Relax, for you will have plenty of time to mull everything over in your minds afterwards, I assure you. And with that, let my tale of revelation begin."

As the man who claimed to be the ruler of the Nintendo World spoke, everyone listened with the same rapt, expectant attention, the Original 25 more than anyone else. Even those with impatient or prideful personalities did not intervene, including Bowser and Ganondorf.

"I will have to start far back, before these worlds were created. First, my own identity, something which must surely be chief on all of your thoughts. I was once a human, a mortal like yourselves." The stranger said this with the implication that he was now neither human nor mortal. "But I came not from a world like this; no, _I_ originate from a dimension very different from this one, simpler and yet superior in almost every way. For, you see, it was from my world that yours was created.

"There was—or perhaps is—a unique group, a team of humans who devoted their lives to this purpose. I was among them, one of their primary sources of the ideas which eventually became this place as we know it. For years on end, these creators and I worked restlessly to design a universe with no limits like the ones present in our own, a universe filled by our own magnificent ideas, with diverse beings that had access to fantastic powers and spectacular locations. By these means, the Nintendo World came into existence, along with each of you. The magic of imagination, you see, was the only form of magic available to us humans, and we never tired of experimenting with the endless possibilities, and reveling in our creations.

"But one day, I came up with an idea: an unsurpassable idea which I knew would enrich the worlds' ingenuous construction hundredfold. More excited and sure of this concept than anything else in my life, I rushed to the head of our team and presented my idea to him, confident he and the rest would see how much more enlivened it would make our created universe. My proposition was to equalize the opposition, to make evil just as strong and prone to succeed as good, resulting in truly unforgettable, emotional, tragic, and entertaining stories to be allowed. Instead of always causing heroes to come out victorious, why not give the other side the same opportunity, for the sake of fairness, for the sake of balance?

"The team, however, would not accept my proposal, their minds blinded to the perfection of my plan. And for suggesting such a change, the leader not only rejected the truth, but he banished me from their universe to a place where I could not cause any more 'corruption' among the team's ideas—namely, the imaginary world itself in all its reality. It was a cruel and unjust joke of theirs as they sent me away that in punishment for such a crime against their own preferences, I should be trapped forever as part of the unbalanced side, to see if I could fulfill my request by my own hands. So they claimed, in a twisted fashion, that in a sense my request had been granted. Such fools they were…

"Initially, I had been overwhelmed by how different this world was from my old one; almost nothing was the same, and absolutely nothing could quell my lingering resentment for the loss of my previous life, and the disability to exact revenge upon those who had trapped me here. I was literally a mass of pure vexation, so consumed by my anger that for my first years of existence in the newly-born land of Nintendo, I went around discretely lashing out at the beauty of the world that surrounded me, blaming it for my condemned isolation. Only once did I interfere in the matters of its people, in hopes of brightening the prospect of forever living in this everlasting prison. And only one individual of note did I meet, or rather, confront, before my dark age came to an end."

The man did not look anywhere else to single someone out, simply continuing his history without appearing to give the acknowledged meeting any further consideration. But the one to whom he referred knew precisely who he was, and blanched with shock; yet this person remained silent. There was much more to this to be heard.

"But after that, my very substance was dissipated until it was no longer material in the normal sense. My widespread particles fled all occupied lands, and forged into flickering shadows which, for ages on end, cast themselves about the universe, causing strife and dissent wherever I went to pass the time and keep my mind off what I truly yearned for. You might be surprised, Smashers, how many fundamental rivalries, antagonisms, and vendettas that originated from my subtle influence. To name but a few, my shadows are what caused a previously content, prideful Koopa to mutate himself through hate, greed, and self-pity into a monster determined to take it all out on the princess of the kingdom." He nodded towards Bowser, who perked up in a flaring fury at the discomfortingly knowledgeable stranger who had so blatantly spoken of his early emotions. "And it was not through natural means by which a growing Gerudo male, rare for his kind, was taken by a sudden craving for power." The man acknowledged Ganondorf in the same manner. "Without my involvement, Phaaze would not exist. Neither would humans from Kanto be inspired to form a team dedicated to using Pokemon for whatever means they pleased. Not even Andross would have ever come up with the experimental plans which got him banished from Lylat in the first place save for my careful prodding. The list goes on and on. But you can surely see that even when I haven't seemed to be around…I _always_ am.

"Then came the Copyright Wars. A time when I was truly intrigued to witness what the Nintendo World's defenders could do. And I was impressed. The Microsoft and Sony Worlds were held off for a number of years, the majority of the eight-year war, in fact. But once Microsoft let loose its fiercest warriors…the Master Chief…Banjo & Kazooie…Frogger…and Sony as well, Crash Bandicoot…the dragon Spyro…Solid Snake…well, suffice it to say that despite your valiance, I knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Not without me.

"Yes, it was I! I am the source of that long-forgotten, shady force which drove away Microsoft in the Battle of Yoshi's Island, leading to the eventual conclusion of the war, the truce which satisfied Sony and at least kept Microsoft contained. So, bitter as this moment may be for some, I hope you can appreciate to a degree the fact that without me, you would be worse off than now. Not that I need your praise, or any recognition. No, what brings me the greatest satisfaction is the development of a collection, a great shrine arraying the marvelous diversity of a universe beyond a creator's wildest dreams. They had no idea what they had created. But I do. My time among you has given me the most precise of insights into its workings, its locales, and its denizens. Especially the last six years. Even more especially the last six months.

"As for my name, I am called many things: Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lost Creator, Lord of the Shadows, the Stranger of Shining eyes, and many others—even a human name which I choose not to recall. But _you_ may call me…" The stranger smirked and took a dramatic pause.

"…Master.

"As I observed your efforts, Smashers, there was but one thing I failed to understand; you were motivated by each other, by the protection of those you love, but it did not seem to daunt or bother you that your understanding of why this has all happened was minimal. You were neither concerned nor curious as to why two giant white hands, residing in a giant room, decided to come into your lives and try to ruin it. You forgot that the root of overcoming any problem...is in understanding its meaning."

The man known as Master raised an eyebrow beneath his dark sunglasses, the action apparent because of the creasing on one side of his forehead.

"Would you like to know?"

He paused briefly, but the thousands of Nintendonians remained silent. It was an unfathomable concept—to search for the right thing to say to this high-minded being. He smiled widely, and then held up his two gloved hands high for all to see. "I _AM _Master and Crazy Hand. They are me. My power over manipulation of matter has granted me the ability to divide my essence into any form I wish. My personality was split between my creativity and inkling for destruction, so that both could act to fulfill my purposes as one. Defeating them as you just did, which I will admit surpassed even my expectations, has only forced me to show my whole self. The giant room is an exact replica of the office I lived in as a human of my dimension. With my eternal confinement in the world I helped create, I had to find a purpose to exist, a purpose to drive me. So erupted my passion for collecting, and so began my quest to acquire the perfect collection, and control everything within my reach according to my wishes. With time and space under my jurisdiction, I will unlock the secret of creation…and the reversal of the process. By so doing, I may very well be able to find a pathway back to my old world, and destroy the narrow-minded simpletons who forced me here. But even if not, I will have already reaped sufficient revenge—by ruining their ideas, the way they did mine!"

As he said this last phrase, Master reached into his suit and pulled out a long, resplendent object. It was a rod, a staff, wrought of pure gold that looked ancient but still shone with the brightness of newly polished metal. Master's pale, grayish fingers wrapped tightly around the rod, no less splendid in comparison. The staff, when pulled all the way out and placed atop the purple substance at his side, was seen to be about a foot shorter than himself, the bottom end blunt and round. But the tip was mounted by something that drew all eyes to it. Four golden prongs encased a glorious sphere, the size of a basketball. This sphere was of clear glass, and encased within the ball was what seemed to be some combination of liquid and gas, electric blue in color and more effulgent than the brightest of Shine Sprites. Its brilliance shone on the eyes of every witness, practically radiating power. A cross of deeper blue, the same midnight blue of Master's suit, shimmered at an off-centered position within the ball, clearly representing the symbol that marked the Super Smash Brothers. But very noticeable about the blue contents was a flat cut-off about a third down from the top; at that line, the blue suddenly ended, being plain clear glass above it, like a partially downed glass of milk.

Master raised the rod into the air, the light from it growing brighter and whiter, and from the raised tone of his remaining speech, he was obviously in Crazy Hand mode. "So now you know who to blame, people of Nintendo, for your fall, besides yourselves."

The wind abruptly began picking up, swirling across the entire land, a fell current signifying Master's emotions. The shimmering ball of light separated itself from the blue sphere, ascending ominously, and enlarged indefinitely as Master caused the rod to pour energy into it.

The globe dilated to a frightening size, becoming as enormous as the man himself, then a bus, then a building, then the giant television, then the entire desktop, practically filling the atmosphere with its unthinkable diameter. Blue ripples and jolts leapt across the white sphere, their energy contained only by Master's command. Finally, after it seemed it would rend the sky asunder with its gargantuan magnitude, the rod gave up a last wisp of power, and then reverted to its regular brightness. Master kept the rod raised all the same, appearing to be keeping the overwhelming force at bay.

"The master makes all the rules. The servants follow them. When those rules are broken, regardless of what party is responsible, the world must pay the price. A new era shall begin, and hopefully the lesson will finally be ingrained into everyone's minds forever that your Master, which is I, WILL GET WHAT I DEMAND! NOW, DIE!"

For some it happened quickly, and was over quickly. For others, however, it went by in slow motion, descending terribly and despairingly upon them.

The loudest boom ever sounded within the borders of the Nintendo Universe thundered out as the colossal sphere burst forth, spreading terrible lightning-like tendrils in every direction, across the Battlefields, lighting the land as they went. Upon every body of the Alliance it struck, leaping from figure to figure with jagged precision. A washed out, horrible sound echoed from the Nintendonians like a tsunami crashing against the beach, like a crowd whose volume raised gradually in a perfect crescendo. The brightness of the spreading tendrils of lightning illuminated much of the darkened land, but it was akin to the illumination of Egypt as the angel of death from The Prince of Egypt swept through its palaces, stealing the life out of all the firstborn. The screams of Toads, soldiers, pilots, beasts, and otherwise were caught by the white destruction before they could be fully uttered. Arwings and gunships burst apart in billowing explosions as the jagged bolts passed through them, only adding to the cumulative chaos. No one was exempt: the Original 25 disappeared amidst the blinding, destructive shine; Professor E. Gadd and all the other prominent leaders of the Alliance were consumed; a group of bolts struck down onto the table in the room, streaking through the hearts of every remaining individual.

The chains of lightning did not cease their rampage until reaching the end of the Alliance masses, running themselves through King Dedede, who was farthest away, last. Master remained livid but non-reactant, not a single feature of his face changing the slightest fraction, not even breathing, as his purpose fulfilled itself. The globe of energy slowly shrunk in volume until the last shred of it was separated into a strip of energy which curled into a ghostly white spiral and faded away.

Before anything could settle, however, a white flash—filling the sight of even those far way so that nothing could be seen but the pure, saturated whiteness—obscured all view.


	55. Chapter 18:2: Master's Challenge

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{2} Master's Challenge**

A silence had come upon the land greater than all those before it, for this time, there was no held breathe waiting to be released. When the scene finally cleared, all chaos concluded, there didn't seem to be anyone from which a breath to be released.

Total devastation. Within the room, the table was strewn with numberless forms piled like Holocaust victims. Not a single person rose up from the annihilating blow, but they were not all dead, strictly speaking.

Some, instead of having the life smitten completely out of them, had been frozen during the white flash, and now appeared as silent trophy witnesses. Slippy and Krystal were the primarily noticeable remainders, but several other trophies (which had not already been there before the room had first been breached) dotted the near-absolute carnage. And each one was different; not one of the trophies was a repetition of another…

Were one to then extend one's gaze to the vast Battlefields around the room with transparent walls, the same sight would have been beheld. Completely leveled except for the occasional trophy, the armies of the Alliance had been massacred. There was no blood or gore at all, but no mistaking the state of the corpses for sleeping bodies: as previously mentioned, not a breath had been held. Huge heaps of technology comprised of the scraps of wrecked aircrafts had started many fires, which slowly began to spread to consume the new kindling surrounding it. The expressions of the trophies, from Gadd's toothy smile to Dedede's puffed-up smirk, were unbefitting of the tragic, silent environment, forced to pose as if they had not, in fact, been forced to.

It was like the very worst of nightmares, the kind that even a dark, brooding Luigi would have laughed at the possibility of, the kind that Professor U. Reeka would have always hoped for. The wind had stilled abruptly, as if the planet itself had died.

The area with the highest amount of trophies was, for some reason, the Pokemon. Most of the elemental creatures had not been left as a field of dead remains, unlike the thousands of Toads, Koopas, soldiers, animals, baddies from Dreamland and Hyrule, Kremlings, Yoshis, and every other species of less variation. The Pokemon, on the other hand, were made up of hundreds of rarely repeating beasts, and were like an outdoor museum of statues compared to the single Koopa who had transformed or the solitary Muffin-headed Toad. There was some pattern to this.

The Original 25, arrayed as they would be on the character selection screen, were all trophies, facing the collector who now owned them.

Master laughed as no other villain has ever done; for no other villain has reached the point where he has entirely succeeded in his plan and has then gazed at the legion of dead enemies who had dared to stand against him. No other villain has managed to follow all the way through without letting out some last witty remark or making some mocking gesture which then proved to be his downfall. Yet Master was unique, for he had challenged the very law assigning ultimate superiority to good over evil, and had won.

But, as happens with every perfect plan, something had ended up turning out contrary to the mastermind's perceived result. Something not even the omniscient Master had foreseen.

Four trophies among the twenty-five shook, and then, with the shattering some kind of plastic coating, they rocked back and forth with their trophy stands, and an encircling ring of blue light screened down them from head to toe, reanimating each hero.

Mario, Link, Kirby, and Ness, stowing away any and all repercussive grief for a later time, knew there was only one thing left to do. They stepped down firmly from their floating Trophy Stands, the world black around them save for Master's purple aura, the Room and Battlefields over a thousand staggering feet below. As expected, the four survivors found footing on the glowing violet shrouds, and in a line of unspoken unity, strode purposefully toward their true enemy (Kirby, although dwarfed in sized compared to Link, proved the most vehement among them). Mario walked next to Link, to whose left was Kirby, and Ness moving forward beside him. Master watched them approach impassively, his right hand still gripping the rod and his left hand in his pocket.

Without previous rehearsal or spoken communication, the four heroes came to a simultaneous halt before Master, all hands balled into fists except Kirby's stubs and Link's sword arm, which had drawn the Master Sword with a seemingly loud scrape among the silence, the blade glinting confrontationally against the gleam of the blue orb and the sheen of Master's sunglasses. They all knew somewhere deep inside themselves that this was what was meant to be, that fate had conducted their actions to this point. No further explanation was felt to be necessary.

Master's smile did not change, but it was very hard now, icy and cold. He gestured toward them with an inclination of his staff. "…Impressive. Let us take this dispute to a more suitable venue, shall we?"

Not waiting for an answer, he silently and without motion bade the purple swirls envelop them, and they were borne up and away to a place scarcely seen by mortal eyes.

…

Final Destination was as it was before: the metal grates overlapped by crossing purple strips, and the shining black sphere appearing to be maintaining the platform's suspension from below. But the background was no longer speckled with bright, encouraging stars: it was just blank, eternal, empty darkness. And as Mario, Link, Kirby, and Ness materialized out of Master's dark-hued energies, the sense of unquestionable finality was even more strongly present. Each took their place on a separate quarter of the platform, glaring up at the formally-dressed man hovering in the center above.

Master no longer spoke as if reciting a long-prepared speech; at this point, while his facial expression was still perfectly under control, an almost unintelligible tinge of marvel was layered thinly in his voice. "So…Mario…Hero of Time…Pink One…Ness…you have shown you possess something beyond that of all other creations…something even I had not expected." Then, a look of sudden comprehension came upon the godly outcast's face as he inspected each hero, looking for the connection. "Yes…even the perfect plan cannot accommodate the hand of fate…there is no other explanation for it. You four have a _**will**_, a strength of mind, an implacable courage, an internal endowment, which has empowered you with the ability to withstand the magic of the Smash Rod. Others may equal or exceed you in intellect and wit, but there is a definite resistant spark in your minds which I neglected to notice until now. Curses…my former colleagues must have envisaged my endeavors, and chosen you out of the rest to be made impervious to my powers…

"I was going to let you live as part of my collection, but it is unfortunately clear that this can no longer be the case. Now, at last, we shall bring this game to the final test. I give you all one simple challenge, and if you prevail, the kingdom is yours. Here it is: _DEFEAT ME!"_ With that, Master brought up the Smash Rod with both hands, and plunged it downward, driving it all the way into the center of the stage.

At that moment, a tremendous rumbling shook the platform, four rays of blue energy flowed from the bottom of the Smash Rod in separate directions that formed a plus-sign, and with a metallic crack, Final Destination split into four identical corners, one hero upon each segment. The black sphere remained where it was, as did Master, but the corners spread farther and farther apart, steadily and mechanically, until a veritable football field separated each Smasher from the others. To each one, the rest vanished into the thick blackness, and they appeared to be alone.

None of them needed to wait long before Master's voice sounded once more, but to each individual, a different message was given.

…

"It is time, Mario…that you meet an old acquaintance of yours…however, he may not be the same as you remember…"

From within the endless abyss surrounding the plumber, a sizable object rose from below the platform and smashed onto the surface before him. It was a trophy, depicting a being Mario knew all too well: Bowser. The Koopa King's features were frozen in a perpetual snarl, his claws extended viciously at either side of his face. But the eyes were solid and lifeless.

Until, that is, a ring of light encircling the beast descended gradually from the top of his horns to his spiked tail, just as had happened to the four chosen survivors. Only this ring was purple, the same sickly purple which seemed to mark everything associated with Master and his designs.

Once Bowser had been completely screened, however, he did not immediately become reanimated. The figure instead continued to glow a purple that shimmered as it made terrible changes to the life inside. The villain's scales and shell began pulsing and bulging strangely, and then seemed to crack and shrivel as the beast within emerged.

An enlarging mass broke through the shell of the Bowser Mario knew, abandoning the small trophy stand, and unleashed an earsplitting roar as it reached its full size. It was very similar to Bowser in shape and manner, but horribly mutated.

For starters, it was about eight times as large as the original beast. Its skin was a darker, grayer hue, the claws sharper and several inches longer. The jaw was bonier, a jutting double chin protruding beneath two huge rows of razor-sharp teeth, the gums pulled back in a nightmarish snarl. The spikes on its metal armbands and collar were larger, those on the shell exceeding a foot in length. The legs, arms, and belly were more muscular and tightened. The shell, as well as the space around the eyes, was a paler, bluish green, and the mane of red-orange fur on the head and eyebrows was thicker and deeper.

As it roared, the monster leaned forward toward the minute Mario, opening its mouth wide to reveal a blood-red mouth glistening with saliva, and two unnatural white sparks flashed in its eyes, the will of the original Smasher lost.

Mario gulped as he readied to fight.

It was Giga Bowser.

…

"Hero of Time…your test will be an intriguing one to me, for you have already met your opponent in battle—and fallen to him. Let us see just how well you can match…your own strength…"

Link jumped back in alarm as a metallic figure, gleaming all over, dropped from the darkness above and landed directly in front of him. Metal Link drew its own Master Sword, its body language seeming to convey to Link that it had killed him once, and would now easily do it a second time.

But Link's challenge wasn't quite as simple as it appeared. Materializing out of the darkness like ghosts, three shadowy silhouettes became present to Link's left, right, and flank. They were the exact outline of the Hero of Time himself, brandishing the exact same sword, and, most troublingly, were prepared to mimic his every move, making it near impossible to strike at Metal Link without suffering terrible wounds simultaneously.

Link refrained from trembling or showing any sign of weakness, forcing himself to act boldly, even though his confidence inside was not at its best. Eying the Dark Links with his peripheral vision, he commenced the clash of light, darkness, and steel.

…

"You seem to have a certain knack for bringing back old enemies, Kirby…it would impress me exceedingly if you manage to fare well this time around, however; you shall find he is more than he was the last time you met…"

Two chains of large rocks grappled onto the puffball's platform one after the other, and pulled up the monstrosity they were attached to onto the surface with a rocky crash that on any normal ground would have caused shaking of tremendous magnitude. Kirby's eyes widened; the arms composed of rock chains were only the beginning.

Two equally rocky legs kept upright the sturdy, massive creature. Composing the bulk of the body was a thick, fluffy, elliptical cloud. Sharp yellow spikes studded its perimeter, and embedded in an H-shape at the center of the cloud were seven big blue eyes, protuberant and disturbingly watchful, each eye moving independently unless they were all focusing on the same thing—which they were now. Between the lowest points of the rocky arms and the beginning of the cloud, two reddish slabs of rock resembled exaggerated shoulder armor, their jagged top edges reaching the height of the cloud portion.

It was as if the earth had met the sky and decided to combine.

Kirby immediately recognized what at least part of this foe was. It was Kracko, the belligerent, electrically charged cumulonimbus cloud complete with spikes and a single bad-tempered eye. But this was most certainly not the same Kracko he had faced many times before; he could have sworn that he had never seen the enemy with multiple eyes or rock chains for arms and legs…

And then it hit him. This was another mutant, yet another of Professor U. Reeka's foul creations, despite the fact that the said scientist had recently met his demise. This monstrosity had been left behind, a living reminder of the horrid ways the power of creation could be abused.

The other half, the other specimen which had become the victim of Reeka's experimentations, was a special Pokemon called Regirock. This legendary creature matched the rocky limbs and the arrangement of the eyes perfectly. It looked like an alien from one of the many sci-fi horror films, something so far from familiar that many would be terrified by the mere sight of it.

Kirby, however, was not among the many. He stared face to face with the many-eyed mutant (henceforth named Krackorock), frowning in determination, and then sprung into a true David and Goliath encounter.

…

"Time and space have their ways of coming back to haunt their meddlers, boy. Intriguing it will be, then, to match you up, a human child with intergalactically potent gifts, against the lowest, the most corrupt of space creatures. The last of my servant's pets will unleash its wrath upon _you_, Ness!"

This time coming into view from the thick blackness in front of Ness's platform, great, powerful wing-beats could be heard before the actual mutated creature came into view. It came airborne, releasing a shrill, ear-splitting screech as it came to a halt in the air only a few feet out from the corner section. Ness flinched, covering his ears to protect them from the high-pitched wail. Then he took a step back in automatic fear and revulsion as his eyes took in the ferocity of the thing he was supposed to defeat.

It was, of course, still another Reeka abomination, the fifth and final one. But this one was less obviously anatomically dissected. The entire outline, body, head, wings, and tail, was that of Ridley, the notorious Space Pirate leader killed several times by Samus, but having an illogical tendency to come back from the dead. It was shaped like a thin, skeletal dragon, the scales being bluish purple. The head was akin to a pterodactyl, only with short, very sharp teeth, and the skin stretched tightly across the bones like a starved zombie. The ribs were unhealthily visible along the torso. The two bat-like wings were spread, revealing orange segments of webbing in between the skeleton of the wing. The arms and legs were exceedingly thin, but pointedly muscular all the same, and the claws were long, knife-edged tools of death, made for raking through flesh and metal alike.

The mutations were less conspicuously noticeable at first, but after a couple seconds of inspecting, became the most frightening aspects of the beast. The scales, rather than being indistinct and tiny, were composed of hundreds of perfectly shaped, slightly elongated hexagons, visible to even the weakest of eyes. Ridley's tail, while barbed and tipped off with an arrowhead-like point as usual, shone with an unnatural pinkish-white luminescence. The rest of the Space Pirate's figure flashed from the bluish-purple to a deep, mixed green to a dangerous, heated red, and then repeated the cycle. Finally, the eyes were not the bloodshot yellow they had been known to be formerly, but instead glinted a fierce, absolute, malicious red.

Evidently, Ridley had been combined with some essence of the Aparoids, and now, before Ness, the result presented itself in its full hideousness, enraged by its own lack of control over its current state, and the cruel treatment forced upon it by the mad scientist. But it did not matter to Aparidley who paid for it.

Ness narrowed his child-like eyes and prepared his mind for the forthcoming ordeal.


	56. Chapter 18:3: Struggle of the Survivors

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{3} Struggle of the Survivors**

…

Giga Bowser spurted out an immediate stream of hot, billowing flames, covering twice as much space as the normal Bowser with twice the pressure.

"Yahoo!" Mario had begun dashing toward the gigantic beast with both arms extended to the sides, his yellow cape flapping behind him. The red-capped legend bounded off the ground right where the stream of flames initially hit, and then proceeded to glide in a superhero pose, one fist extended, in a direct line approaching Giga Bowser's head. The gloved fist smashed into the center of the forehead with Herculean effort, and with a growl, the titan toppled over backwards onto its shell.

Mario fell upon the monster's face, landing kicks, punches, and fireballs onto the struggling head. But an oversized claw swept past Giga Bowser's eyes, smacking the caped crusader away like a bothersome mosquito. Mario groaned as he banged onto the surface and slid toward the edge; his body went over the side with the great momentum of the swipe, and he just managed to grip it with his hands, and pull himself shakily back onto the platform. Giga Bowser rocked back and forth on his shell, and finally placed his scaly feet back onto the ground, standing with renewed fury.

Giga Bowser, with unfathomable strength, leapt massively at Mario in a diving belly flop, the enormous shadow darkening the plumber's dwarfed figure.

"Mama-mia…" the hero managed to murmur in a woozy voice. He threw himself to the side in an attempt to escape the hulking shadow, but Giga Bowser unexpectedly alter the angle of his descent to still squash his target. The mutated Koopa crushed Mario with his vast belly, and then rose back up just enough to reach under himself with a claw and pull the Italian out. This was only done, however, so that he could hold his catch up high, and then slam him back down again and again like a ranting child abusing a doll. The mammoth-sized Bowser finished his rampage by grasping ahold of Mario in his other claws as well, and preparing to rip his challenger asunder.

With a strained burst of effort, Mario broke out of Giga Bowser's fatal grasp by spinning himself around in a harsh Mario Tornado. He spun to the ground, and when he landed, knelt down on one knee, heaving and gasping from pain and fatigue.

"Whoooh…whoooh…" These perilous syllables came out with each gasp. He looked up at Giga Bowser, who let out something that was a mix between a wild roar and a laugh. Things looked bleak, and it was apparent that this thing could not be defeated by smashing hard enough or breaking some vital organ. The hide and shell were too tough, the instinctive beast too ferocious. He though hard during this brief respite how, then, he could win. And then he realized that the only way to beat Giga Bowser would be to knock it off the quarter-circle platform entirely so that it could not return.

But he was so weak, and injured, and broken. How could he accomplish such an impossible task?

Giga Bowser concluded its vicious gloating session and narrowed its eyes at its victim.

…

Steel clashed against steel. Link (the real one) ducked to avoid the perpendicular slashes of the three Dark Links surrounding him, desperate to escape this circle of certain death. Metal Link pushed the Master Sword away with its own and stabbed forward at Link's neck. The hero jumped back, thankfully being mimicked by the mindless shadow behind him, pulled out a bomb with a lit fuse, and hurled it at his metal nemesis.

Metal Link caught the bomb with one hand like it was a baseball, and then, without further consideration, crushed it in its iron grasp. Link shielded his eyes as the small explosion engulfed the metal clone, but gasped in surprise when the blast faded away to reveal Metal Link unscathed. It turned slightly as if to show off the flashing Franklin Badge attached to its tunic. Taking out a solid metal bow and stringing an equally metal arrow to it, the enemy pulled back the string and sent the arrow speeding at Link.

Link held up his strong Hylian shield in defense, which stopped the pathway of the arrow. But instead of merely bouncing off, it penetrated the steel of the shield, the tip protruding an inch or two out of the backside of the shield facing Link. Ironically, the arrow had struck one of the golden triangles of the Triforce, the one representing the Triforce of Courage which the shield's owner possessed.

The Hero of Time tried backing away far enough to cause the Dark Links to fall off the edge, but the figures simply hovered over the endless darkness as if the ground continued. This would not be easy.

Metal Link consecutively sprung his Hookshot with one arm and flung a heavy metal boomerang with the other. Link parried away from the chain of the Hookshot, and held up his shield again to block the boomerang. However, his head barely escaped decapitation when the sharpened device sliced straight through the shield and whizzed over his head, leaving him with two-thirds of the original shield. Knowing it was coming back, Link slashed the Master Sword up behind him without looking away from Metal Link. A smooth cutting sound ensued, and the metal boomerang clattered to the surface of the platform in two pieces.

The clone came back at Link with a swift metal leap, bring down its sword vertically in a strike which could potentially slice the human clean in two—well, not exactly clean…

With a retaliation he was sure would be more effective, the Hero of Time brought the legendary sword back which was glowing white with the energy of the Triforce of Courage, the energy of knowing it was in the hands of the destined wielder, and unleashed one of his signature spin attacks with a yell. The three Dark Links leapt backward to avoid the spin, but Metal Link was in the process of attacking.

After steadying himself from the spin, Link was disappointed to see that the only thing his roundabout slice had accomplished was to shorten in half the length of Metal Link's sword. Now its length made it more befitting to be called a dagger, but that did not make his situation any easier, if not worse.

Its blank metallic eyes boring into Link's, Metal Link ushered with its broken blade for its allies to move closer. The Dark Links joined the clone in inching nearer and nearer, closing in on their target.

Even with all the training he'd had, the Hylian hero could not help but feel the panic rushing through his veins. Once this circle had shrunken into nothing, the only thing left in the center would be sliced mincemeat.

…

Kirby pounced forward, bringing his star-decaled hammer down from above with the intention of smacking several of Krackorock's eyes. However, as he brought the wooden weapon down, a chain of rocks moved in front of the eyes to block his hit. The hammer splintered onto the immovable stone, leaving Kirby with naught but a broken handle. Once he contacted the surface, a rocky foot punted Kirby away, flipping through the air and collapsing at the 90º angle spot of the broken Final Destination platform, where the center of the whole used to be. The Star Warrior pushed himself back up just in time to view Krackorock's next assault.

From each of the yellow spikes poking out of the cloud, green electricity emitted and interlaced from point to point, completing a something-gon of wavering jagged lines. The seven eyes narrowed. Then, a bolt of green lightning shot out from each point, the intersecting streams reaching for the puffball. Kirby flattened himself like a pancake in his version of a duck, causing the majority of the green electricity to pass over him. Two or three outlying bolts, notwithstanding the evasive maneuver, abruptly tilted their paths of travel and met their mark. Kirby cried out as the hostile energy course through him, leaving him slightly more weakened than before.

The hero shook off the discomfort, and followed up by puffing himself high into the air, above even the farthest reach of the rocky arms. Krackorock sent up additional jets of glowing green voltage, but each was dodged by a swift swerve of Kirby's position. Even some rocks of various sizes were hurled at the airborne Smasher, but Kirby used the largest rocks as an opportunity to touch down upon, let out a puff of air to catch his breath, and then push off back into the air. And for the smaller rocks he was able to open up his mouth briefly and swallow them, if not simply evading them altogether.

Once Kirby reached the position he desired, directly above the slow-moving Krackorock (which he had been counting on), he morphed into a blue, angry-faced Thwomp and plummeted downward with gravity on his side. Too busy flinging rocks, the half-cloud, half-rock enemy was unable to move its rock-chain arms in time to block Kirby's drop. The Thwomp pounded onto the seven eyes at an impressive velocity of 9.8 meters per second, provoking a strange, unearthly bellow from his target, and toppling it over.

Suddenly, though, a bright coating of translucent green electricity appeared around Krackorock's entirety: cloud, rock limbs, and all. Despite the normally protective qualities of being a solid inanimate object, Kirby's Thwomp form was blasted away like a rejected guest being thrown out of a party. Kirby reverted to his normal appearance, but was singed all over, breathing heavily, and his vision beginning to blur from the unhealthy amount of energy coursing through his small body. He saw that this newly applied coating was not fading away, and felt a great leap of dismay sweep through him. His foe was impregnable.

How would he succeed now?

…

Ness stared down Aparidley, waiting for the Pterodactyl-like beast to make the first move. Obliging, Aparidley let out another fell screech and dived toward the boy, claws extended. Ness leapt up to meet his aggressor, and when the two collided, the kid found himself pushing the mutant back through the air with blue, watery PSI energy rippling from his hands. Aparidley twitched as he was sent back several yards, and Ness landed safely back onto the platform.

More wary of his clearly underestimated opponent this time, Aparidley circled around Ness like a hungry vulture, Ness rotating himself hastily to keep up with the flying antagonist's movements. It was more of a blur than a solid figure he was able to see during the constant motion, but the brightness of the barbed tail allowed him to follow the figure fairly well with his bright, perceptive eyesight. Round and round it went, sometimes turning about abruptly, or cutting across overhead.

It lurched at him, emitting another screeching sound, like a thousand cats being run over by cars at once, only much more intimidating. Ness reflexively swung at the creature with his impervious baseball bat, and the tip connected with the raucous head, turning it away—but not before Aparidley made a long scratch along Ness's left shoulder, ripping his striped shirt. The Reeka creation fell back while the young Smasher cried out and winced as the cut on his shoulder stung and began to bleed.

Aparidley, without the slightest hesitation, opened his reptilian mouth wide, from which a foul, purple glow grew brighter and brighter. After a couple seconds, he regurgitated a blob of boiling, steaming, radioactive Plasma Breath. The boy reacted to this attack with confidence by concentrating his PSI powers to form a protective PSI magnet around his body, absorbing the Plasma Breath and transferring the substance into a form which he could use to heal up the cut on his shoulder.

Naturally, this did not please Aparidley. But the wily Space Pirate was soon hit with a clever, insidious idea. Calling upon one of the advantages of his Aparoid half, the morphed Ridley, flashing between purple, dark green, and red quite frequently now, opened his jaw once more, and this time expelled from within at least a dozen small, writhing black clumps. Ness observed in disgusted horror as the black clusters plunked onto the platform surface, their slimy surfaces hardening and their writhing features settling into shape. Each tiny black figure blinked open two malicious, ravenous red eyes, just as malicious as their host's, and unfolded similar bat-like wings, extending small tails and claws.

Aparidley seemed to smile, releasing an inhuman hum of satisfaction—which sounded much like the droning of the Aparoids—and flapped himself back over the edge, descending slowly downward until he could no longer be seen, allowing his grotesque offspring to do his dirty work.

The bat-like creatures, henceforth named Mini-Ridleys, chittered and wailed spontaneously—yet somehow congruously—and thrust off the surface, flapping their sinewy wings with rapid effort. Ness felt like he had shrunken to the size of a worm as the virtual flock of hungry Mini-Ridleys formed a perimeter around their prey and prepared to go in for the kill.

One baseball bat and yo-yo would not be enough.

…

Master laughed by humming with his pale lips pressed together in a cold smile, observing the four Smashers' struggles from the dark center space, the purple substance swirling around him. The Smash Rod was still gripped in his left hand, his right arm at his side. He looked, in all honesty, like a powerful sovereign would be envisioned to be, minus the queer hairdo and eyewear. He observed each of the survivors beginning to falter, and extended his smile, parting his lips to display his sharp pearly incisors. Despite whatever flaw or glitch which might have occurred in order to protect these fools from his powers, his reign would soon be at hand regardless. No force in this imaginary world made reality could stop him…

His eyes, through the sleek black sunglasses, caught sight of a tiny light growing below, and he heard a faint whirring noise, increasing in loudness. Taken by surprise, Master directed his gaze below at the small hovercraft which rose with a humming vibrato, the floodlight attached to the front penetrating the thick darkness and reflecting off the sunglasses. The round vehicle rose to the level of Master's head—two individuals inside and two additional figures hovering beside it— and turned to confront him.

"How is _this_ for theatrical, sir!" Professor Elvin Gadd called out defiantly—master to master, spectacles to spectacles.

With that remark being made, the late-coming survivors split up to attend to each of the imperiled heroes. One, beating bat-like wings to remain aloft, took off toward Link's quarter. The other figure outside the vehicle, completely motionless in the air, teleported away to Ness's quarter with a twinkle. The second passenger bounded off the yellow-and-black-striped edge, falling with style onto Mario's platform. Finally, Gadd caused the machine to rotate to the correct bearing, and sped off with the continuous whirring in the direction of the electric green glow. Master's smile vanished; he let out a deep yell of dissatisfaction, and glowered as the four battles took a turn from how he had intended, something that seemed to be occurring increasingly often.


	57. Chapter 18:4: Love and Peril

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{4} Love and Peril**

…

A white-clad figure alighted next to Mario on one knee and adjusted the circular medical object strapped to his head. He turned his face to look at the discouraged plumber with a smile.

Mario gaped. "Dr. Mario! Thank a-goodness! But…how did a-you survive?"

The doctor winked. "Well, technically, I _am_ a-you, so my will's a-just as strong as yours. So…" He glanced at the vicious Giga Bowser before them. "Let's a-go and finish this a-fight together!" Noticing Mario's weakened condition, the Overseer of the Dimension Conflux tossed a specific bicolored Megavitamin which bopped into the plumber and seeped its energy into his body instantly. Mario shook his head, slightly dazed, but no longer at the point of collapsing.

Mario stood up straight; the two identical Smashers nodded to each other and turned to face their greatest challenge yet.

Giga Bowser sent another widespread stream of flames gushing across the platform, flickering forward like a tidal wave. Mario and Dr. Mario simultaneously jumped toward each other, rebounded off one another's shoulders, and then soared across the surging flames below. Each tossed several of their specialized projectiles at Giga Bowser's head as they veered off to opposite sides where they were safe from the fire. Megavitamins and Fireballs alike plonked onto the pale green head, the former having the greater effect; the flow of flames was cut off as Giga Bowser bellowed in rage and turned to face the original Mario to his right.

Dr. Mario grabbed the spiked tail firmly with his sanitarily gloved hands, and with a heave, made to force the hulk in a clockwise direction. It would not budge because of its great weight, but it certainly got the titan's attention, who roared again and spun to face the doctor as fast as his heavy legs would allow. Mario sought to distract their enemy by leaping onto the mane of red fur and delivering basic punches to the head, but Dr. Mario made the mistake of trying to hold his ground _and_ onto the short tail swerving along with the tail as the monster attempted to turn.

Enraged by the multiple nuisances climbing around and tugging on him, Giga Bowser let loose a wild Whirling Fortress, retracting his limbs and head into his giant shell and spinning ferociously, throwing off both Marios. Mario was sent flying across the platform, but Dr. Mario, being closer to the shell, got the worst of it; his body was caught up in the whirling current, and was pulverized multiple times by the spinning spikes, icy purple flames scorching his face and doctor's outfit.

Coming to a stop, Giga Bowser popped back out of his shell; springing into the air at an angle, crossing most of the small platform with the jump, he executed a colossal Bowser Bomb on top of the still-falling doctor, pounding him into the ground.

Mario rolled and stood up, shocked at what had become of his medically trained self. He balled his fists in contempt, and then, decidedly, waved to Giga Bowser to attract his attention.

"Yoo-hoo!" Mario toss his red cap in the air, jumped and spun in an elaborate dance, caught his hat mid-jump, and landed back down, pulling his cap over his head in a challenging gesture as he knelt.

Taking the bait, Giga Bowser's voice boomed as he prepared to execute the same move which had flattened Dr. Mario. Acting fast, Mario rushed forward and dived at the Koopa King, yellow cape extended in his hands. Just as the massive opponent began to lift off the ground a second time, the yellow cloth flapped across the very tip of one of the monster's giant toenails—the result being that the beast's direction was completely reversed in an instant about face.

Not realizing the trick that had been played on him until halfway through the Bowser Bomb, Giga Bowser let out another earth-shattering, guttural roar as he was forced by his own momentum to cast himself off the edge, and plummet much faster than 9.8 meters per second into the depths of endless darkness.

Mario rushed to the doctor's crushed form, fearing the worst. At the very least, being smashed by the backside of a giant turtle would leave considerable bruises afterward. Fortunately, as he kneeled by Dr. Mario's side, he saw his own eyes flutter open and look back at him with a faint grin.

"Get…pill…blue and red…"

Mario nodded, and dug around through the interesting contents of the white coat until he found the requested medicine. Tossing it at the injured hero, the pop of the Megavitamin appeared to miraculously repair and revitalize Dr. Mario's bones, causing him to leap up with renewed energy. The doctor put a companionable hand on Mario's shoulder. "Thanks, a-Mario. I suppose that a-makes us even…"

…

A winged blue warrior swooped down and sliced incredibly rapid strokes at the three Dark Links, cutting across the dark substance using the element of surprise. The silhouettes of the legendary hero flinched from the effective strikes and rolled away from Link, staring warily at the unexpected newcomer. Link and his metal rival looked up to behold the masked swordsman Meta Knight, his two penetrating, beady yellow eyes connecting meaningfully with the real Link's.

Metal Link, seeing the trouble an airborne opponent presented, motioned with its sword for its allies to take care of the newcomer and leave the two of them alone. Turning to Link, it resumed their interrupted swordfight, only now it was one-on-one, an evenly matched duel.

Meta Knight bounced up and down with each beat of his bat-like wings and maneuvered expertly from place to place, dodging the Dark Links' swords skillfully and landing jabs of his own. With a smooth cut, one of the Dark Links' heads fell off, and the figure vanished into purple smoke. However, as he did this, another of the black swords clipped Meta Knight's wing, almost tearing through the webbing. The Star Warrior winced, but endured the pain, and continued sparring with a distorted flight pattern.

Intense blows, right and left, above and below, took every bit of concentration the Hero of Time had. It was fierce and difficult, for since Metal Link's sword had been broken to about a third its original length, it was like dueling a knife-wielding assassin: one faulty move could be fatal for him. From every angle, were a camera to be rotating epically around the clash, evidence of great skill was seen—perfect dodges, stepping, and counterstrikes from both sides.

One straight jab from the dagger-sized blade pierced Link's already-reduced shield, bringing him into close contact with the clone. The metal was jammed in the shield, as he realized upon attempting to remove the enemy's weapon with a tug. In that brief moment of distraction, Metal Link brought back his unoccupied iron fist and smacked it into Link's cheek with an extremely heavy punch. The green-garbed Hylian staggered back, almost falling over, but by pulling up with his shield arm, propelled himself back upright. Before his killer could react, Link swung the shining Master Sword down onto the metal wrist holding the jammed sword, cleaving straight through the iron flesh; Metal Link was left with one hand. Link smiled in triumph; his enemy was weaponless.

Not even glancing at its severed hand, the relentless clone shook its head, as if dismissing the thought that this fight was by any means over. Its remaining hand flicked out, grabbing the blade of the Master Sword. With an effortless bend of its wrist, the metal minion twisted half the blade upward so that the tip was now pointing at Link's face; it then released its grip and stepped back, as if waiting for Link to do something.

It dawned upon the Hero of Time what this had come to. Feeling vague remorse for his marred weapons, especially the Master Sword, he hesitated, then dropped the fated sword to the side; letting go of the Hylian Shield (still with Metal Link's blade and wrist sticking out of it), he flexed his fingers and rolled up his sleeves, hoping his hand-to-hand skills would be sufficient to defeat this metal monster.

Meta Knight chopped off another of the Dark Link's heads, the headless body dissolving into purple shrouds. The last silhouetted swordsman suddenly charged at him and leaped up, bringing its black sword down from above its head.

Allowing the injured wing to sway his figure to the left, Meta Knight spun past the Dark Link and drove his yellow flame-shaped blade into its back with a majestic grace. He then turned his attention to the Link-Metal Link duel, which had just progressed to the swordless stage.

Link gasped as, despite his best effort at agility, he found Metal Link gripping the front of his tunic and lifting him up with its one remaining hand. He struggled, but the iron grip was just too solid, too immovable—after all, he was basically dealing with a living statue here.

He was liberated spectacularly when a small orange twister forced Metal Link to relinquish its grip as the twister revolved swiftly about the helpless clone, delivering innumerable scratches. Meta Knight spun out of the small tornado lithely, and with a sweep of his Dimensional Cape, seemed to vanish from sight—only to reappear behind Metal Link and strike with a quick, forceful swipe. The clone was pushed across the platform—only to be met by Meta Knight again, who had teleported once more to swipe at his enemy another time. This process continued, Metal Link flying across the small stage with the inscrutable Star Warrior flashing in and out of appearance many times: across, above, or below. At one point, the Franklin Badge clattered onto the ground, unable to take all the abrupt movements or having been dislodged by Meta Knight's sword, for either reason. Finally, with the masked warrior's last slash, Metal Link careened off the edge, gravity working against it as it fell.

Acting quickly, Link aimed a bomb downward and chucked it precisely; both he and Meta Knight watched as the small explosion signified the metal creation's utter (yet unnecessarily overdone) obliteration.

Link turned to eye his companion with respect. "You're very skilled with a blade, friend."

"Yes?" Meta Knight's round yellow eyes seemed to twinkle and then roll. His voice was deep and sagely. "Well, you're not half bad at stealing kills yourself."

…

Professor E. Gadd and his hovercraft zoomed overhead and came back around beside Kirby a couple feet above the surface. The leader of the Nintendo Alliance grinned toothily at the puffball.

"Greetings, Kirby! It's good to see that I am not too late. So...what's the predicament?"

"That." Kirby motioned with his stubby arms at the impregnable Krackorock mutant before them.

Gadd nodded, rubbing his chin. "I see…you can't touch it because of the electric field it generated around itself. Hmm…" The scientist thought rapidly, as they had only the time it took before Krackorock recollected itself enough to attack again.

The professor snapped his finger. "Got it! Watch this, and be ready to swallow some _really_ jittery food with that mouth of yours. Ready?" Kirby nodded anxiously. "Well, here goes…"

Gadd started fiddling with the control panel on his hovercraft covered with a complex array of switches, buttons and lights. The floodlight switched itself off and folded itself mechanically into the yellow-black stripes. Gadd entered another sequence of indecipherable commands, and folding out of another spot on the front of the hovering vehicle appeared a tall, thin strip of metal which ran through several closely-spaced metal disks and narrowed about six inches from the top into a ballpoint. Extending up from that point was an even thinner, needle-like point, which was topped off with another smaller ball, this one being glassy and red. It was like a laser from a sci-fi movie.

At that moment, Krackorock found the time ripe for continuing his rampage. A single huge beam of green electricity burst forth from the eye-dotted center of the cloud, intent on decimating Kirby.

However, partway through its journey, the thick beam veered off course, and, with a zap, was absorbed into the red point of Gadd's device. The special lightning rod (for that was what it was) transferred the electricity into blue waves of energy which coursed back down the rod, over and around the disks, and disappeared into the hovercraft.

The professor nodded to Kirby and pressed several more buttons. As a result of this, the electricity ran back up the lightning rod, and from the red ballpoint, a concentrated jet of the same green electricity shot straight into Kirby's open mouth.

The Smasher swallowed quickly, and with a dramatic spin, transformed into Thunder Kirby. Electric currents of light green strands flowed atop his head like energized hair. Now, he knew, Krackorock's barrier would not affect him.

The said monster, infuriated by the lack of pain caused by its beam, started up a constant barrage of rocks toward its oppressors. Big and small, a volley, no, a virtual _rainfall_ of boulders and rocks began to descend upon the heroes.

Thunder Kirby shattered most every projectile coming his way with flashing green sparks and set out puffing and bouncing up the larger boulders on a quest to reach Krackorock. Sometimes he found a gap which allowed him to suck in a rock and spit it out as a bright star in the direction of the seven eyes embedded in the cloudy torso.

"Gadzooks!" the bespectacled scientist cried as a basketball-sized stone crashed against the side of his hovercraft, shaking the entire vehicle and everything in it. He dashed to the controls and caused it to back up away from the Rock Slide and upward to where he would be safely out of range. Seeing Kirby's hazardous endeavors down below, he fired red lasers from the guns now unconcealed at the underside of the mechanism, which helped dissolve many of the obstacles in Kirby's way.

The Star Warrior reached the desired position above Krackorock and, once again, transformed and plummeted toward the eye formation. This time, however, he had changed strategically into a spiked ball. Spikes. Eyes.

If it were capable of making sound, Krackorock would have been producing a very loud, agonized one when the spike-studded sphere struck the eye formation, unaffected by the electric barrier and piercing most of the eyes. The bombardment of rocks ceased as Krackorock shook itself furiously side to side, attempting to disconnect the thing impaling its vision. Kirby stuck to it like a leech, determined to drive his enemy to its final desperate measure. Which he did.

A debris-filled Self-Destruct blasted apart the Reeka experiment, catapulting the spiky sphere in a steep arch which came to Gadd's attention. Amidst the destruction, the professor pressed the buttons to make a spring-hinged claw shoot out of the hull, catch the object out of the billowing air, and place it gently into the craft beside him.

Kirby shook himself out of both combative forms, Spike and Thunder, and looked up with a dazed smile at his kind leader.

Gadd smiled back wearily. "That…was…"

"FUN!" the puffball blurted out.

…

The swarming Mini-Ridleys all darted at the solitary psychic boy at once. Ness closed his eyes, expecting a quick and painful death.

The spawn of Aparidley suddenly froze in midair, rotating slowly, completely immobilized. Next to Ness flashed into being his powerful personal mentor: Mewtwo. The artificial Pokemon's eyes glowed with a fierce violet glint as he maintained thorough control over the vile, rasping creatures. Ness looked at him in awe. The white head, tinged the faintest shade of purple, nodded ever so slightly, and then the psychokinetic kid knew exactly what to do.

Leaping from creature to creature, Ness smacked the lives out of each and every one of the Mini-Ridleys by means of his baseball bat, yo-yo, and PK Fire. The last batch of five he saved so as to disintegrate with a massive green PK Flash, executed with shuddering effort. He finished his task and sought eye contact with the now-relaxed Mewtwo, who returned the connection with an approving light that seemed to say, _Well done, young one. I am impressed…_ Ness beamed, but they had no more time to congratulate one another, for with great, heaving wing beats, Aparidley had reentered the playing field, more hot-tempered than ever, displeased to find not only the human still intact, all its foul creations extinguished, but another being beside him as well.

The two masters of the mind confronted the final Reeka experiment with a confidence bolstered by the strong connection between their minds, invigorating their senses and their drive to succeed.

Aparidley bared its teeth, and without warning, assaulted both Smashers from a completely different, unexpected angle. A high, buzzing screech filled their minds and their ears, even though the mutant was not emitting any actual sound from its mouth.

"Aaahh!" Ness yelled and fell to his knees, holding his head. The droning was overwhelming his mind, destroying his sane mentality. It was like a concentrated swarm of bees buzzing through an extremely loud microphone placed directly in his ear—only worse. He couldn't concentrate; he didn't know how. Beside him, Mewtwo was evidently suffering similar mental attacks, the Pokemon's eyes tightened strenuously, vibrating like he was, if a bit less.

Through the deafening, commanding drone, Mewtwo managed to convey one brief, harsh message. Something that he had taught Ness before in Fourside City—what to do when your mind was under attack…

_DISTRACT…YOURSELF!_

Before Ness could attempt anything, Aparidley seized upon their moment of weakness to lunge forward and, with a real screech, snatch the cat Pokemon with its sharp claws. Both heroes had been caught off-guard. The mutant spun as it came back around, ascending into the air with Mewtwo in its grasp.

_Mewtwo…NO!..._ Ness struggled ever more desperately against the maddening drone, desperate to aid his mentor. Trying to follow Mewtwo's instruction, he attempted to focus his mind on other things: _victory against Metal Samus in the fortress, his first escape from Master Hand's room, the defeat of the evil alien Giygas…_

The buzzing lessened ever so slightly, but then grew louder again. Those memories weren't working. Through his unfocused eyes, he glimpsed Aparidley smashing Mewtwo onto the platform mercilessly…

He shook his head. He needed to find stronger memories. Mewtwo had few positive memories to recall if any; his life had been so miserable and isolated, it was no wonder he had a hard time now. So it was up to him. He strained his mind, delving deeper into his stash of recollections: _his friends Paula, Jeff, and Poo…_ The droning lessened a lot more this time, allowing him to think a bit more clearly. _The good times they had all shared…his home on Onett…his fellow Smashers, who had recently become his close friends as well…_ The noise had dropped to about half its original loudness. It was working! _The time he'd thought Bomberman was imitating a constipated butterfly…the lessons Mewtwo had taught him about the power of emotions, especially love..._ Fainter and fainter, the parasitic Aparoid assault was nearly gone. _His love for everyone he knew: his family, friends, and everyone in the Alliance…his love for the peace in the Nintendo Universe—its marvelous beauty, its wondrous phenomena, its freedom from corrupt rule…_ Then it was over.

Ness stood up straight, completely revitalized. He gasped as he beheld Aparidley crushing Mewtwo beneath its claws against the ground, preparing for a final plasma breath to finish him off. The PSI-trained boy knew there was no time left; no physical or magical attack on his part could stop the abominable thing in time. So, in a spurt of wild improvisation, Ness did the only thing he could think of: reverse the process.

Focusing his mental strength on the head of Aparidley, he pushed with all his might, concentrating every ounce of power he had on sending the horrible droning back at its host. Ness had only barely survived the mental assault. This monster looked remarkably like a pterodactyl, and from what he knew about dinosaurs, he recalled that they were supposed to have very small brains.

Nothing was happening. Mewtwo was going to die. Ness groaned and redoubled his efforts, if that was possible, willing with every fiber of his being for his impromptu retaliation to work. His fiery hope began to dwindle.

A sickening explosion splattered mutated purple flesh as well as bits of bone throughout the vicinity. Ness's face and clothes caught a fair amount of it. A huge thud resounded as Aparidley's body tipped over backward, the head completely gone. The neck bone stuck out of the headless corpse, odorous steam rising from it. Ness wrinkled his nose, nearly gagging from the putrid stench. The same inhuman screech from when the Black Rose was destroyed sounded again now. Ness then realized what Ridley and the Aparoids had in common, what perhaps had attracted Ulysses Reeka to the idea of biologically combining these two particular specimens.

Both seemed to require being vanquished several times before _truly_ dying.

But fortunately, the last of the mad scientist's abusive experiments had been brought to an end.

Remembering his maimed mentor, the boy rushed forward, filled with panic and worry as he came upon Mewtwo's injured figure. Several bones appeared to be broken including his right shoulder, a few ribs, and left leg. A deep gash on his head and another one on his chest looked very severe, not bleeding, although that was most likely because he didn't have blood. Not in the natural sense, anyway.

"Mewtwo!" Ness cried, leaning over his psychological trainer and touching the Pokemon's chest tenderly with his fingertips.

Mewtwo breathed forcefully, but had the strength to push himself off the ground and put a paw on the boy's shoulder. His voice was weaker, but still steady. _I'll survive…_

Both master and apprentice looked toward the center of the darkness, where their ultimate enemy waited.

_…for now._


	58. Chapter 18:5: The Behemoth

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{5} The Behemoth**

Moments after the four challenges sent by Master had been vanquished, the rounded quarters of Final Destination, without warning, jerked into motion and floated back toward the center. The victors readied themselves for whatever came next, and Master awaited them silently. Finally, after several extremely long, drawn-out seconds, Final Destination was reformed once more.

Master did not look happy.

His pretense of civil friendliness extinguished, the swirls of purple substance flared angrily around the man, somewhat of a visible display of his emotions. His grip tightened around the Smash Rod; the sphere at the top of it was now only filled about a third of the way with the blue gas-liquid.

The Smashers and the other survivors noticed this.

His perfect teeth were clenched. "THAT…is enough…this has gone on for too long; my victory has been prolonged farther than I deem adequate. You powerless mortals have evaded defeat for the last time! I…even _I_…grow weary of this game. And now, I intend to end it."

E. Gadd, keenly observant as always, whispered to Kirby. "I may be wrong, but I _believe_ the amount of blue substance contained within that sphere signifies how much power he has! It's possible that we need only endure until his powers are depleted…"

"Ha ha ha!" Master had apparently overheard the professor's hushed words of encouragement. "You think attempting to exhaust the Smash Rod of its power will allow you even the slightest chance of prevailing against me?" He held out the magnificent golden rod before them. "But you do not even know what this is! This…is more than a mere power source. It is the scepter of ultimate authority in This World, and whoever holds it possesses sole sovereignty over our lands. It was another dismissed idea brought up by someone in the team from my dimension. However, by exiling me and my ideas to the Nintendo Universe, they unknowingly sent with me every other rejected idea ever to be concocted, including this." The sunglasses flashed at them, and Master's lips stretched in a cruel smile. "Would you like to know which of your friends were rejects?"

"Stop right there, sir!" Professor E. Gadd's surprisingly resonant voice pointedly refrained from calling him Master. "Now, you either give back everything and everyone you've taken away from us and leave this land forever, or we _will_ destroy you! You decide."

Master glared down at the short leader below him. "I will finish my explanation prior to ending this so you may grasp the full extent of your cause's hopelessness, little scientist.

"The first third of the Smash Rod's energy has been used gradually over the past six years, allowing me to split my identity between the Hands and oversee the growth of my armies. The second, recently departed portion, as you can now see, was spent in arranging this climactic moment we are now experiencing, and in bringing forth the four challenges I presented you with. The only reason so much of its strength was used is because of the complexity of creating Giga Bowser in his enormity out of that _pathetic_ Koopa. So, as I am to now demonstrate…" The blue sphere began to glow brighter. "…you can hardly comprehend how easy it will be for me to kill all of you with this much potency at my command. THE END HAS COME!"

Another blinding white flash was produced by the tip of the Smash Rod, setting up for another change of setting. This time, however, the change was mind-boggling, for their surroundings were not the only thing to change.

…

In place of the boundless darkness: a rotating, cylindrical chasm of glowing green, blue, and red tiles, the colors separated into sections which reversed direction with each change. The chasm swirled about them so speedily at times, and jerkily at others, that it was impossible to tell whether one was falling down or ascending up it. A truly dizzying feeling.

The platform of Final Destination was nowhere to be seen; the eight Nintendonians found themselves devoid of a surface to stand on. It followed, then, that while Gadd, Kirby, Meta Knight, and Mewtwo were not troubled by this shift, Mario, Dr. Mario, Link, and Ness found themselves suddenly groundless. And since the environment seemed neither to pull them down nor up, they were in a state similar to open space, with nothing to push them one way or the other. This was a very difficult position for the latter four, so the professor took it upon himself to use a special magnet on the hovercraft to pull them aboard. Therefore, what remained were Mewtwo and Meta Knight flying solo (although both were injured) and the remaining six grouped together in the scientist's small vehicle. Not to mention the horrid, colossal thing in the center.

What first caught one's eye was, well, its _eye_. A huge, disturbing eye the size of a Christmas tree, colored a reddish-purple with only a black slit for a pupil. No blood vessels or eyelid—just strain marks around the black similar to the Eye of Sauron. Although many of those present had faced creatures with enormous eyes before—Mario, Link, Kirby, etc.—nothing compared to the penetrating, savage gaze of the transformed Master's eye.

Sprouting from the back of the eye were two massive, leathery black wings, like that of a bat's, which could most likely envelope a house with their vastness. The only other feature of Master's reincarnation was the two skeletal white arms with four equally bony fingers each, the two fleshless hands curling in and out in an eerily similar motion to Master and Crazy Hand.

This time, there was no lecture, no roar, no hesitation from the transformed exile. No time to wonder at their surroundings or let the terror of their enemy's appearance sink in.

Beating his great wings, Master lashed out at the hovercraft, intent on tearing it apart with his skeleton hands.

Those inside retaliated in defense, doing the best they could to hold the Behemoth back (which it shall be referred to as). The Marios hurled Fireballs and Megavitamins at the eye like there was no tomorrow—which, if they lost, might very well be true. Link shot arrows—fire, ice, and normal—at the same target. Ness used PK Thunder repeatedly, the professor controlled the craft and fired red lasers, and Kirby, at a loss, did nothing, but was prepared to help when needed. From behind, Mewtwo sent Shadow Balls, grunting as the wound on his shoulder burned with each toss, while Meta Knight seemed to be creeping up stealthily behind the Behemoth, waiting for the most opportune moment.

The eye seemed to flash a slightly lightened hue with each attack, so damage was certainly being done. What wasn't certain was whether at this rate, enough damage would ever be done to deplete the Behemoth's life force, which likely would be a very high amount. The Adversary Analyzers, oddly enough, had ceased to function within this bizarre, surreal cylinder.

The Behemoth appeared, for a while, to be held back by the constant stream of projectiles, and as long as this seemed to be working, the survivors would never cease. But it folded its gigantic wings over the vulnerable center, and then all further projectiles simply bounced off the black appendages. Sprouting from below the encased area of the wings, a swarm of bat creatures, identical to their creator except for their size, burst forth in all directions. The baseball-sized eyes came in every color of the rainbow: red, orange, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They would have been little more than a nuisance to the Smashers except that from their eye slits they produced small beams of burning energy with the color of the beam corresponding to the eye's. Often, the multitudinous array of colors got mixed up with the spinning surroundings. The Behemoth, meanwhile, remained enfolded within its wings.

One could not ask for a more chaotic situation.

As the bat creatures reached them, the hovercraft's occupants fought them off determinedly. All of them bewared the multicolored beams as well as the tiny ravaging skeleton hands which tore at their faces, cloths, and hair. Mario executed Mario Tornadoes and reflected beams back with his yellow cape. Dr. Mario stuck to his Megavitamin-throwing, fending off the swarm with the same skill he applied to fend off the Viruses back home. Gadd had a harder time, being as defenseless in close combat as he was, but despite being singed and scraped in many spots, he managed to punch in a combination on the control panel to call upon the lightning rod, which zapped some of the abominations with the stored green electricity. Link slashed at them with the bent Master Sword like Keese, but because of the difficulty of using such a deformed weapon, he also suffered from several beam hits. Ness applied a wide variety of yo-yo tricks which spun through his legs, under his arms, and over his head. As often as he could, the boy also activated a PSI magnet whenever possible to recover from the fight against Aparidley. Kirby, perhaps, was the most prepared this time. After sucking in and swallowing one of the creatures, Beam Kirby (with a red-yellow jester hat) rotated chains of spherical lasers above him like the propeller of a helicopter, taking out dozens of enemies with a single revolution.

Meta Knight, shouldering his injured wing like it was nothing, made his move. Diving gracefully below the Mini-Behemoths coming his way, he came back up where the Behemoth's eye was still vulnerable even within the folds of its wings: the underside. The winged warrior stabbed his golden blade into the shiny reddish-purple jelly with vigor.

Mewtwo, meanwhile, had taken advantage of the headache accompanying his wounds to cause all Mini-Behemoths in the vicinity to explode grotesquely from a mind-shattering Psychic attack. Finding the pathway clear, he moved closer until he spotted Meta Knight's stunt. Eager to return some of the pain Aparidley had excruciated upon him to its sender, Mewtwo focused his telekinetic powers on the golden sword, and with an intended jerk, shoved the blade with his mind deeper and deeper into the eye's interior. Ignoring the Behemoth's colossal reaction, he kept pushing it through until it penetrated through the other end.

The Behemoth unfurled its wings in widespread agony, the black pupil narrowing as it shook with pain. Unfortunately, now that such a deadly blow had been inflicted on it, Master's reincarnation became so reckless and vengeful that it no longer gave heed to its own survival. The winged titan suddenly began shining with all the colors of the rainbow, its previous features now shimmering into the conflux of mesmerizing brilliance. From what the heroes could tell, it was about to fulfill its words as Master—_the end has come…_

Self-destruction. Only this would surely be exponentially worse than Krackorock's or an Electrode's. It would kill them all.

A preliminary ring of kaleidoscopic energy pulsed in all directions. It billowed inescapably through the heroes, tossing them all head over heels and filling every spot on their bodies with an indescribable sting, like a wasp sting that strikes everywhere, and lingers tortuously afterward. So tremendous was the pain that it was beyond screams; it was all they could do to hold themselves together with whatever willpower they had left.

The hovercraft did not have the willpower of a living being. The surging ring of rainbow force incinerated the machine, generating a terrible explosion which hurtled the six occupants into the open space.

It was the worst, most unbearable moment of all their lives.

And the Behemoth continued to shine brighter. It was going to do it again, except bigger. Fatally.

Just before the Behemoth was able to bring about the end, a shining yellow light shot forward from the Hero's Bow at the direct center of the eye. The Light Arrow glimmered effulgently with the endowed magic of the Triforce of Courage, and just when all was about to be lost, pierced the shimmering, suicidal Behemoth.

Everything shattered around them: the ever-stretching cylinder of spinning tiles, the remaining bat creatures, the Behemoth itself.

As was beginning to happen more often than seemed reasonable, the scene changed yet again in a flurry of color.


	59. Chapter 18:6: The Cloaked Truth Descends

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{6} The Cloaked Truth Descends**

They had returned to the barren, desolate room around which the Alliance lay dead or incapacitated. The walls were solid once more, no longer transparent. The eight survivors stood upon the top of Master Hand's Fortress, waiting to see if it was all over, although most of them doubted it—not with their great enemy's pattern of never relenting until he had gotten what he wanted. _Everything_ he wanted.

Sure enough, not a minute passed by before the ominous amaranthine shroud swirled into existence in front of them. No longer bothering with a masking silhouette, Master stepped out from the shroud into the air with an unfathomable expression on his cold, hard face, especially with the flat-topped sunglasses covering his eyes. However, the man who was more than a man could not conceal the fact that he was visibly trembling, his tight grip on the Smash Rod shivering. But it was not out of fear or even anger. It was of pure disbelief, of a person whose life has been shattered by something that person had never for a second considered possible. His control over his countenance held, but a shadow of the emotions exploding inside him leaked out most noticeably.

The Smash Rod itself had also changed. Now, not a single wisp or drop of the blue matter remained within the glass orb bearing the so oft-recurring insignia. Evidently, transforming into the Behemoth and exerting such abysmal power in this form had rendered the golden scepter juiceless. A sudden leap of joy soared in the survivors' hearts; Master's power was gone. They had won.

Then, in an unexpected action, Master flung the drained Smash Rod with alarming, inhuman strength straight downward. The survivors flinched as the symbol of authority crashed against the battlements, the orb shattering and the rod rent in twain. And, abruptly, Master's head jolted down to bore into those who had so repeatedly defied him.

The voice was so very resonant, deep, and now, passionate. "You…_you…_" He pointed a pale, shaking finger at them. "…you defy every one of the few rules which define this world. Because of a little unforeseen teamwork, you make sense out of the impossible, rebuking every form of death I throw at you, formidable or not. This cannot have been done by you mortals alone; destiny must have had a hand in this. It seems, for now, to be on your side." It was almost like he was trying to convince himself of this.

"So, you force me to upset the balance of fate and reality." A gradual, maddened grin appeared on his face. "It looks like I must show you my true, core self. For I have…_another_…name. I will have to go full out on you, utilize the utmost extent of my power in order to claim this war.

"The Smash Orb means nothing to me, not when we absolutely must get down to it. I need no tool, nor army, nor pulses of destruction, nor even my imagination to prove my superiority. This world will bow to me one way or another, and if this must be the way in which my reign begins, then _SO BE IT!_"

As it had prior to the fight against the Hands, the entire room, even the Battlefields surrounding it, began rumbling and vibrating. Only this time it was on a much larger scale. Giant objects on the desk, shelves, and table rattled and shook violently. Trophies shuddered like toy action figures, some even tipping over onto the array of bodies. The desk lamp the size of a fully grown Evergreen tree wobbled dangerously, and fell over the edge. A devastating crash accompanied by a great electrical explosion gave birth to a large fire which quickly spread to be promoted to the rank of inferno.

The deep velvet substance swirled more and more rapidly around the single trembling figure before the survivors' eyes, forming a unified direction and purpose and developing some sort of current. Master's dark green hair whipped in the wind as his entire body became obscured by the growing flux.

"He will never quit until we have lost, will he?" Professor E. Gadd spoke in a voice as awed and horrified as the other seven around him, all of them standing agape. Kirby's eyes were the widest of all.

From no apparent source, glowing white star shapes mixed in with the spinning purple current. It had now grown so dense and strong that Master's outline could not longer be seen within; the bottom end slanted into a point, forming a man-sized cyclone, speckled with the stars. The cyclone increased in size at an unnatural rate. The heroes waited for the swelling tornado to cease its enlargement, but it seemed to just keep on expanding and expanding.

More objects succumbed to the titanic tremors, and the great blaze spread, licking all the way up the shelves to the ceiling, and encircling the room like a horde of rioting demons. The entire room was now aflame other than the table in the middle.

At last, upon retreating only slightly against the limits of its growth—the ceiling—the great purple funnel ceased its expansion, although still spinning much, much faster than any eye could ever follow. A low, sinister laugh, deeper than Master's had ever been, echoed unmistakably, dreadfully, in the survivors' ears. Dark, curved shoulder armor formed atop the living tornado's wide edges. A massive head, only an indistinct shadow at first, slowly materialized into view.

It was indisputably the head of Master, but had undergone terrifying alterations. The giant, pale, grayish-blue head faced them, the double-chin jutting out in the same direction. The sunglasses had reshaped into two obtuse triangles, the tips pointing opposite directions. In place of the hair was a midnight blue, cap-like thing covering from the forehead up; embedded in the center of it was a round red jewel with golden lining. A similar but larger jewel was located beneath the chin, a pendant hanging from a golden chain, seemingly on top of the swirling part. The odd thing was, the spinning tornado had the appearance of a great cloak, as if it were both at the same time. It was like looking at a spinning wheel, but seeing a different picture that was an illusion of an image formed by the spinning. Finally, two imposing golden prongs curved up like antlers from each side of the blue covering, only they did not split or veer in any direction that would ruin the symmetry, instead ending in perfect points, giving the appearance of a strange crown. He looked like some kind of apparition from one's darkest dreams, like—well, there was no description that fit better.

A vampire.

Pushing out through the cloak/tornado appeared two giant, white-gloved hands. Master and Crazy Hand were essentially back, only they were no longer independent of will, and the fullness of their host could now be seen. Not much about their movement seemed to have changed.

But something shocking happened. Purple flames erupted in countless spots on the hands, and the white began burning and withering away, disintegrating in small scraps. Almost as if rubber gloves were being scalded off the skin beneath. Revealing the true hands.

They were unbearably horrid and grotesque. Wrinkled purple skin, like some kind of aged alien's. Long, obsidian-like fingernails, sharp enough to pierce through an unbreakable object. No wonder Master wore gloves.

Ness cringed at the repulsive sight. If there really was such thing as the "Hand of Fate", he sure hoped this wasn't it.

Once this was established, the sunglasses shattered, the pieces being caught up in the tornado body, revealing two gleaming slits emanating startling, unearthly whiteness. At the same time, the circular wall of flames about the room changed color in a flash to an almost blindingly bright purple-white. And despite this, the vast chamber became remarkably dark; every unoccupied inch of air was completely black, like some sort of apocalyptical scene.

"I…AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FEAR AND SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD. **I AM NIGHTMARE**. I HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED, EVEN AFTER KIRBY FIRST DEFEATED ME. SINCE THAT TIME, UNTIL NOW, YOU HAVE KNOWN ME AS MASTER AND CRAZY HAND. THE NINTENDO WORLD BELONGS TO ME. YOU STAND IN MY WAY. YOU WILL DIE."

Dr. Mario remembered something he had said back in his world. "_I a-happened to have just gotten a-back from 'Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland.' The first Kirby was babbling about a-some enemy mix-up that occurred some a-years ago…"_ Well, that explained it.

Surely, now, the end had truly come.

And then Nightmare descended upon them.

Their ultimate foe apparently didn't mind destroying his own fortress in the process. Spreading out the folds of his shifting cloak, completely altering the shape of the tornado, Nightmare fell slowly toward them, tilting like an unrealistic tsunami avalanching downward.

Soon, none of the survivors could see anything but the restless purple swirls. Each of them looked about them for some means of escape, some way of overcoming this; it seemed terribly wrong for them to lose now, after getting so far, so close to liberating their land forever. But it would never come to pass now.

As the Cloaked Nightmare enveloped them, the last heroes did not shy away from looking death in the face to the very end.

Mario and Dr. Mario leaped upward in a final Super Jump Punch.

Link dived forward with his bent Master Sword, plunging into the belly of the beast with a broken hope that he did not know how to respond to otherwise.

Meta Knight held up his blue cape up to the eye level on his mask and murmured, "So it ends…"

Professor E. Gadd carefully removed his swirling glasses to reveal small, squinty eyes, and gazed at their doom with a sigh of defeat. He had taken down the foremost servant, his own cousin, but the master, Nightmare, it seemed, had turned out to be impossible to overthrow after all. Well, they had given it their all. They had done their best.

Ness stood by Mewtwo, stock still. _What now?_ he asked, not allowing reality to settle upon his conscience.

Mewtwo did not look away from the purple blanket descending upon them. His eyes, though, were without the flame they had always had. _I…do not know. I am sorry, Ness. You are and always have been the strongest, sincerest mind I have ever taught._

Ness just nodded, trying not to think too hard.

Kirby blinked in denial. He had already defeated Nightmare, a long, long time ago. It didn't seem fair that such an enemy was allowed to do this, to take away their victory through sheer athanasia. Was this really what the creators of the Nintendo World had intended by secluding such an evil, heartless soul here? To annihilate and conquer them?

Just before the blanket of death completely domed over the battlements, a comparatively small spark burst through the ceiling of the giant, cursed room, and shot below the purple darkness. Nightmare caused the fortress to collapse on itself, stones snapping and crashing over each other in a race down to the surface. Whatever was left inside—or atop—the building was seen no more. For several minutes Nightmare continued to fall upon Master Hand's fortress, the two monstrous hands pounding through the architecture like it was a sand castle.

The same white dot, tiny in comparison to Nightmare's towering tornado, whizzed out from beneath the demolition scene as everything was caving in around it. But now there was more to it; a single figure rode the speck.

Kirby steered the Warpstar sharply around in a direct course for the Cloaked Nightmare's head. For some whim of fate had brought to him at the direst of needs a Warpstar from the sky; he might never understand why. But it appeared that he, the hero of Dreamland, had been chosen for some unknown reason to slip away from death. Alone.

So, as the last free hero, Star Warrior, and Smasher of Nintendo, Kirby sped to meet the end one way or another: his, or Nightmare's.

No slowing down, no words, no hesitations. Kirby curved around on the most reliable of Air Riders so that his path of travel approached the fiend's theatre screen-sized face. The very last glimmer of rebellion.

Nightmare spotted the speeding spark only when it was within a hundred yards from his face. The ageless master and enemy hastened to bring up his two purple hands to stop the puffball, needless though it may have been.

Now glowing all around with golden light, Kirby swerved as little as possible and evaded the hands' attempts to crush him. The Warpstar neared, and, with no extravagant flashes or explosions, seared into Nightmare's pure white eye slit, which was so large that the Warpstar and its rider vanished completely inside.


	60. Chapter 18:7: Departure

**Chapter 18: Secret of the Room**

**{7} Departure**

_***** TWO DAYS LATER *****_

A blue-spotted Toad worked his way through the wreckage of the Battlefields, navigating through the numberless bodies heaped up almost as far as the eye could see. He circumvented the remains of a great Venasaur, its bushy fern leaves torn and singed, smelling like a rotting tree. Plodding onward, he continued to step over deceased Alliance fighters until he ran into someone else—a nomadic stranger from the Great Sea known as Old Man Ho Ho, who always carried with him a rusty old telescope, with which he observed nearly every sight the world had to offer. He was doing so now, but looked away from his sightseeing to spot the Toad nearby.

"Ahoy there! Not lost, are you, lad?" He gave a friendly but somehow solemn wave.

The Toad walked over to the old man. "No, sir. I just…can't believe what's happened to our universe. Any of it." His eyes were downcast.

Ho Ho nodded understandingly. "Yes, a lot has happened here. Many have died, and the world of Nintendo will never be the same."

"Hey fellows!"

But this was neither of their voices. A third figure stumbled over to the pair, about half the man's height, wearing a white lab coat and clear-rimmed spectacles, and being completely green in color, for he was a frog.

"Er...my name's Beltino. Beltino Toad. See, my son Slippy was in this war. And I couldn't help but overhear your rather, well, pessimistic conversation. But I think you guys should consider that it's not all bad. Because…well, you know." He seemed too skittish to say it.

"Because we're alive?" Ho Ho said. "Because our world hasn't been destroyed?" He raised an eyebrow. "Because we won?"

"Yes, yes," Beltino said rather quickly. "Now that our land is at peace, now that Master Hand—er, I mean, _Nightmare_, has been destroyed for good, we have no reason to fear. So rejoice, comrades! We can now rebuild our kingdoms, start a new beginning."

But the Toad wasn't quite so appreciative. "But…that's just it. Starting over, reconstructing the many generations of things we've lost, it's not just gonna happen overnight. And some of it…" He sighed, looking out across the Battlefields longingly. "Some of it can't be restored. The lives of those we cared about...Fourside City…they're gone forever. And those who have suffered, which is basically everyone, are expected to just go on without them? I mean, sure, the city can be rebuilt, but it will never reach the splendor it once had. It will never be like it used to be, which is what the Alliance was fighting for."

"Plus," Ho Ho added thoughtfully, "Gadd doesn't think Nightmare is completely destroyed. He thinks what was left of him was sucked into some…outer-dimensional space. A Subspace. And there's apparently supposed to be no way to get back, but…" He gestured with his telescope toward the field of casualties. "…we have been wrong before…"

"Fair enough," Beltino admitted, looking a bit downcast himself. "Yet, maybe a new beginning is just what the Nintendo World needs. Maybe, this Hand of Fate meant for us to start over, and that result is better in the long run than what the Alliance initially was hoping for."

"Exactly," another newcomer agreed in a wheezy, sagely voice.

Ho Ho's eyes nearly popped out of his head, both eyebrows raised now. "O…Orca? I…thought you were—"

"—Dead?" the warrior finished, amused. He fingered the wooden spear at his side ponderously. "I should be." He looked down, closing his eyes as if he were in pain. "There were…so many others who deserved it more than me…" But then, he snapped out of the regretful state, and looked back up at them with a grim smile. "Anyway, the frog here has just the right perspective. This is not the end, but the beginning. Despite the Nintendo World losing two thirds of its population, life will go on, and we will be ever the wiser from what we and those around us have experienced. And we have beheld, my friends, that no matter what the task, no matter who is opposing us…" Orca pounded his spear onto the purple ground. "…the heroes and people of Nintendo can overcome it. Together. Even if the enemy seems to be…immortal. This, the Original 25 have shown us. And the destiny whispered through the stars will never let our efforts go to waste, as long as we have the right spirit about it.

"So come!" Orca gestured to the Toad, to Old Man Ho Ho, to Beltino. "There is work to be done."

Obligingly, they went off to join everyone else in dealing with the results of the war.

So the restoration of the Nintendo World began.

…

"My hero…again." Princess Peach giggled as she kissed the red plumber tenderly on the cheek. The hero wobbled, dazed by the gesture.

After what seemed to be the end of the world, Mario had woken up to find Nightmare gone, and everyone who had been turned into a trophy to be reanimated. It was still a heart-shattering scene of dead volunteers, but he soon found most of the people he knew to have survived the indescribable ordeal.

Except Vivian, of course.

Her remains had been lost in the wreckage of the fortress—either that, or her sisters had already taken it. Mario wasn't sure. But while it struck him as a truly tragic thing for one of his old partners and friends to fall victim to this war, there was a faint inkling within his heart which told him it might have been for the best. His relationship with Vivian had been different from any of his other partners, because it was shady—unclear. It had only just occurred to him as he had waved to her fading figure at the tip of Rogueport that she had nourished a deeper love for him, but was too shy and afraid of messing with him and Peach to express it. He knew somehow that if she were still alive, the two of them wouldn't be able to maintain a simple friendship. Yet he was committed to Peach; she was the one for him.

But Mario would never forget the one who had sacrificed her life for him, the single greatest expression of love a friend had ever offered him. A true friend.

He and the princess, one arm around each other, bowed their heads before the rubble.

…

Luigi was so very afraid to reject all the people who would come to him, begging for him to use the miraculous Life Shroom on one of their loved ones. But he knew this was a one-time thing, and there was one person he could trust to give an unbiased opinion on who deserved the Life Shroom the most.

"Hm. Well, it is entirely your decision, lad," Professor E. Gadd said as they watched the beginning stages of the cleanup after Nightmare's massacre. "But, well, if it were up to me, I'd try to think of someone who, if they hadn't fought to their last breath for us, would have made our victory impossible. Can you think of someone like that? Hm?" Then he walked on with an enigmatic smile, not waiting for a response.

Luigi had mulled over it for a full day. They were still inspecting bodies, so the names of the deceased hadn't yet been released. So he had to think back.

There was Bottles, whose contributions were most definitely invaluable to the war effort. Luigi himself would probably be dead if the bespectacled mole hadn't appeared on the skyscraper during the Battle of Fourside City.

Luigi and everyone else were astounded when the spirit of Bottles himself was found digging his way up to the surface, and then popping out and greeting the first person he saw as if he'd never been gone. Luigi, thinking his decision had been made, approached the floating ghost and told him about what he wanted to do. Bottles's response was as follows:

"_Well, not to say I don't appreciate the offer, Luigi, but at this point, a second resurrection really doesn't suit me well. I've already died twice, and honestly don't feel much like going through it again. I lived a full life. Besides that, think of the controversy which could arise on whether I resume my leadership position or give it to the professor. No, even given the choice, my friend, I think I'm ready to move on to the next life…"_

Well, that cancelled Bottles off the list of potential candidates.

Then there was Vivian. If she hadn't blocked Fawful from killing Mario, surely many would be dead today who were still alive.

But he had to be honest with himself. Did Mario's contribution tip the balance between triumph and defeat? As very beneficial as it was, he was forced to admit to himself that, this time around, that was not the case.

But there _had_ been someone…back before the Battle for the Nintendo World started, who, without his final warning, would not have prevented the Alliance from being attacked prematurely in the city ruins. Then, _no one_ would have reached the room…

And so, he made the decision to give it to Orca. The man had spluttered back to life, like an old machine unclogging rusty cogs and stirring into functionality.

He was fairly confident Mario would understand the reasoning behind his decision, so that burden was lifted off his chest.

But there was one more thing pressing uncomfortably on his mind.

He found Daisy brushing herself off on the giant table, where she and many of the other trophies had been revitalized (despite Zelda's efforts to transport her to safety, she soon ended up traveling herself almost to the original place of imprisonment before Master came). This was not something he was good at, nor did he look forward to the difficult words he would have to speak. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to the bouncy brunette sporting a yellow dress until she turned to see him.

A dazzling smile. "Luigi! You're okay!" She rushed toward the green plumber to plant a kiss similar to the one Peach bestowed upon Mario.

But she was stopped by a raised white glove. Luigi's eyes were soft, but pained as he let the truth out. "Wait, a-Daisy. There's something I a-have to tell you."

The smile decreased slightly. "Yeah? What is it, Luigi?"

"I…feel…that…" Holy meatballs, this was hard. "I mean…I a-don't think we make a good a-match, Daisy. You're beautiful, but…not the one for a-me." He waited for the yelling, the slap, and the huffing desertion.

It therefore shocked him when Daisy seemed to smile again; differently, but she was much more relaxed than he had ever seen her. She wiped a tomboyish hand across her forehead. "Whew! Thank goodness! And here I was thinking that the stupid royalty pairing stuff would force me to be with you forever! No offense, Luigi, but…well, you're a dork." The princess grinned appreciatively, but looked rather repulsed as she skipped away.

Luigi nodded, acknowledging his own clumsiness and social ineptness. Relief flooded through him.

The oft-overlooked brother wandered away for another few hours, looking to see who else had survived. At one point, while walking through the Battlefields, a boy in a red-white cap ran up to him, grinning.

"Hey…Luigi, right?" Luigi nodded. "I'm Red, and happened to see your little self-induced romantic downfall there. You know, I have a pretty cool sister. Maybe you could come with me back to Pallet Town. What'dya say?"

…

In the days that followed the Nintendo Alliance's final success, there was, perhaps, more sadness than joy, more grieving than celebrating. For such a huge, devastating percentage of the population had perished in the endeavor: two-thirds of the entire population, and nearly eighty percent of the males. It was such a near-crippling blow to the world that, even though they were safe from tyranny, so much had been lost.

Those who had been turned into trophies by Master's historic rampage were only a small fraction compared to the total army. Only one of each race and gender had survived, unless it was an individual of achievement whom Nightmare had considered noteworthy. Essentially, anyone who could be named for their involvement in a kingdom's histories (a.k.a. video games), who was still alive at the time, had lived to see such a fate.

But for those who were reunited, they could not help but feel nothing except joy for the victory they had won. Goombario and Goombella, brought back together at last, chattered endlessly about their old adventures with Mario. Toad and Toadette embraced each other and walked hand in hand to go see where their help might be needed. And, a real shocker: old rivals Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba had discovered the potential for a relationship other than hostility which would not only make both of them happy, being with someone who understood their aspirations, but they would make a formidable pair which would send fear into any enemy that was left.

And there _were_ enemies left. Wario and Waluigi did not get to enjoy their reanimation for more than ten minutes before being taken into custody, and every gold coin they had earned in their betrayal was taken away, essentially the equivalent of ripping their hearts out.

But some had not been so easily apprehended. Still at large were the last two of the metal clones: Metal Mario and Metal Mr. Game & Watch, and they would have to be found sometime in the future, when the Nintendonians had a better handle on things.

A week after the final encounter with Nightmare, Professor E. Gadd, retaining his position as leader of the Alliance, which had now become a sort of temporary international government, stood before many people to explain the truth of the events of the past six years, and to announce the plans for the future. This included the reconstruction of Fourside City, the permanent forsaking of the Battlefields and what was left of Master Hand's Room, and, finally, when they were ready, an attempt to restore relations with the Sony and Microsoft Worlds. Like Orca had said, they had a lot of work ahead of them.

Pac-man and Bomberman described to everyone how they had defeated Metal Peach involving bombs and distasteful metallic consumption. The Ice Climbers also relayed in vivid detail how they had triumphed over the controlled Black Knight (who was actually listening) through the use of the Pencil. Once both Smashers had become as thin as paper, they sliced into the gaps between the armor and removed them. Considering the warrior's unwillingness to aid Master Hand, they opted to leave him knocked out on the 3rd floor of the fortress. Ness explained morosely how Metal Samus had killed Shadow and nearly both of them until Sonic's friends Amy, Tails, and Knuckles arrived, and they eventually won.

Then, the scientist's face grew solemn, and he began to read out a long, dreadful list recounting the names of all those who had perished in what would thenceforth be called the War of Creations. Thousands upon thousands of names were read, so it took hours for the professor to finish. And the most noble, heroically contributing of the casualties had been arrayed on the ground before the congregation for everyone to honor and respect.

Darunia's body had not been located, but a necklace that another Goron claimed to belong to the leader had been displayed in his place. Naturally, Biggoron had wept huge, gallon-sized tears in sorrow, causing those around him to cover their heads and move away. Except for Ellie the Elephant, who eagerly sucked the liquid into her dehydrated trunk.

Several generals from among the Star Warriors and Marth's soldiers had also been killed and laid among the great.

In her finest moment, Lady Bow, the boo from among Mario's old companions, had struck down King Boo himself, with little aid from General Guy's paper Shy Guys. However, she had never been seen again, along with her loyal servant Bootler.

The Shy Guy general in question had, as may as well be mentioned, opted to remain in the modern Nintendo World, with the few surviving followers he had left. Jam-jars, Bottles's brother, also remained with the one of each color of Jinjo who had not been lost.

Bottles himself had made a spiritual appearance after all, and the mole endorsed the selection of Gadd as leader officially before the people prior to vanishing in a wisp.

Cranky Kong, still in karate uniform, was among the dead; however, soon after, an apparition of both him and his wife Wrinkly appeared as ghosts to the Kongs, and the old monkey assured them that his last battle had been his greatest, and, admittedly, his toughest.

None of the Bounty Hunters had died, of course, since their character was each so distinct one to another, and they were too well prepared to have been claimed by a lesser opponent than Master himself. The two-person Team Star Wolf, however, dedicated a small shrine to Panther Caruso, who had been like a brother to them. Wolf was planning on disbanding the squadron, for he did not intend to lose his last teammate, Leon, in such a painful way as they had lost Panther.

Shadow the Hedgehog was looked upon by the people of Nintendo with new, respecting eyes. Although he had been their enemy at first, and had caused the Battle of Fourside City to come to pass, he would be remembered among Nintendo's heroes whose sacrifice attested to his selflessness and loyalty to the preservation of the Nintendo World's most important values.

Finally, perhaps the most shocking death of all was that of the Beanbean Kingdom's green prince, Prince Peasley. Mr. Game & Watch in particular mourned the swordsman's death, for he recalled the last time he had spoken to him had been in argument over which era of video games was better. And as he gazed at the noble hero, he realized without a doubt that the Beanbean had been right. The best era was the current era. And a new era had begun. It had been said that he had been slain only after taking on and defeating one of every variation of Wire Frame—an achievement unmatched by any except Kirby.

Kirby, of course, was the most acclaimed hero of all. Without Kirby, all would have been lost. Nightmare would be their new emperor. So it followed that any who had ever overlooked him as weak or cowardly due to his size and appearance had a change of heart. Even King Dedede approached the pink puffball to mutter a half-hearted apology for attempting to flee from the war. Kirby showed his pure-hearted forgiveness by inhaling the penguin's hammer and spitting it back out at his head in a playful, careless manner.

In his mind, Kirby would never forget his last confrontation with Nightmare, and how it really wasn't quite his doing that had saved them. He might never know who or what had sent that Warpstar, but for the time being, he could live without that knowledge. Some mysteries were perhaps never meant to be revealed. And he also kept in mind that although Nightmare's essence had, as Gadd said, been torn apart and sent to a place where he could never return, there really would never be any definite end to evil. And to great beings of evil, such as Nightmare, a thousand years was as a blink of the eye; they would be ever patient, ever seeking the opportunity for revenge.

…

Luigi fell flat on his face after tripping on a Caterpie.

"Whaaaa!" he cried as the irritated bug Pokemon rewarded him with a String Shot to the face.

The girl standing nearby tried to muffle her laughter, but it burst out suddenly as she went into uncontrollable hysterics. She held her stomach from the joyful convulsions, and helped Luigi up, brushing the stringy silk from his face.

She spoke in a light, sweet voice. "Sorry, Luigi. But you're just…_hilarious!_ You should come shopping with me and my friends at the Saffron mall tomorrow…"

Luigi blushed, but looked pleased that, for once, his clumsiness wasn't seen as a weakness.

Red, hiding behind a tree from which he was watching his sister Amber "walk" with Luigi, snickered softly, and turned to leave. "I knew it."

Dr. Mario shook off many persistent protesters as he turned to leave through the door to the Dimension Conflux with the two Babies. He was glad things had turned out alright, but it was time to get back to his true duty: Overseer. It had been a great adventure participating in the Melee tournaments and assisting in this final struggle, but he and the energetic protégés really needed to be getting back to where they belonged. If another strange incident in the forgotten worlds of old—such as Nightmare's sudden movement—occurred again, he would be the first to know, and the one to report.

But he had convinced Gadd to give him the Dimension Key for keeps this time; it was too dangerous for anyone else to wander into such a place again. Ever.

Disappearing into the whiteness, the genetic duplicate of Mario, holding the Babies in his arms, left the people of the modern Nintendo World, perhaps for the very last time. He, at least, was satisfied believing he had left it a better place.

…

After bidding farewell to his masters and seeing the Babies safely away, Yoshi returned triumphantly to his own people on Yoshi's Island with news of peace and restored freedom, although many other Yoshis had died, making his tidings bittersweet. Now, among the one hundred remaining Yoshis, he was among the eighteen surviving males. A rather scary thought. Already a hero among the herd, the green dinosaur did not relish too much in the tribal celebrations which followed, rather wanting to spend time alone in restful bliss. Despite rumors of a _pair_ of Bowser Jr.'s running amuck, he thought it safe to assume that a time of restored prosperity had come upon his blessed land. With that comforting thought, he closed his weary eyes and drifted into a calm sleep.

…

"Careful with those bananas! They're very special…"

Donkey Kong admonished almost every one of the Kremlings who were loading bunches of his precious golden bananas onto the great wooden ship, which was now prepared to leave. He and the crew watched as the sail unfurled, revealing a great letter N which appeared 3-D with a different color on each side, exactly like the N64 logo. The bright sun blazed on the grainy beach surface as well as the shiny ocean waves. Creatures and humans bustled about along the docks to which the ship was tied, carrying crates and running all sorts of errands.

The leader of the Kong family embraced each member of his family in turn as they boarded the ship: Diddy, Dixie, Tiny, Lanky, Kiddy, and Chunky. He watched the rest of the adventurers board who had been chosen for this trek also: Captain Tetra, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Conker, Pac-man, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy.

"Good luck out there," he told them with a compassionate grunt. "Watch your backs; you'd do well to remember that there are some people and creatures over the waters which are much more dangerous and unfriendly than anything in the Nintendo World. But look for the friendly faces—they will be the key to the mission's success." After giving this little goodbye speech, DK let out a tremendous bellow, beating his chest as the anchor was cast of and the ship began sailing away, creatures and people waving on both sides.

The expedition to the Sony and Microsoft Worlds required a very specialized team to embark on it. As many as Gadd could find who had been there before had been asked to go along, as well as an ambassador representing each Nintendo region, and some experienced sailors such as Tetra. Donkey Kong felt a bit of regret as he watched much of his family leave without him, only Funky and Candy Kong staying behind also—Funky, because his love of weaponry and vehicles made him a valuable asset to the recovering Alliance; Candy, because she couldn't bear to leave her tie-wearing mate behind. Yes, after the near-death experiences they had gone through, it seemed important not only to stop keeping secrets when at any time death seemed possible, but because with the population reduced such, a large, healthy new generation was due to be set in motion without delay, almost like a duty.

Donkey Kong himself was obligated to stay because he was among the Original 25, and that gave him great responsibility as representative of his kingdom.

The sun was high in the serene blue sky as the _Banana Boat_ sailed into the distance. It was a new beginning for everyone.

…

Bowser, crippled as his forces were from Master's decimation, reorganized his very few remaining troops with his natural leading abilities, and volunteered to see that until the Nintendo World was strong and thriving again, they would still be defended from any unlikely, but still possible, attack from foreign worlds. He became the Nintendo World's equivalent of a National Guard, and tried to make Pichu a high-ranked officer, but the Pokemon politely declined the offer.

…

Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Pichu returned to Kanto with their trainer Red, but after they reached their home, received a shock. Red released all three of them, insisting that they had a better future ahead of them than a life of Pokemon battles could give, and that they were strong enough to defend themselves without his help. Sadly, but lovingly, he left them in the wild.

…

In an event which outraged and shocked the entire Nintendo World, Pikachu was found in a forest no longer alive six months later; all evidence suggested that Metal Mario and Metal Mr. Game & Watch were responsible for the attack. But after that, no further trail on the rogues could be found. When Pichu found out about it, he suddenly evolved, in his fury, into a Pikachu.

…

Jigglypuff aspired to achieve her dreams on the stage as an inter-regional singing star. She learned, through emotional therapy sessions, how to control herself so that when people fell asleep during her performances, she took it as a compliment.

…

Mewtwo vanished soon after the war's aftermath was cleared up, presumably to his subterranean home beneath the lake in the Unknown Region. He, like Kirby, would never forget the specifics on what had transpired.

…

Kirby returned to Dreamland, refusing to accept any sort of reward for his deeds. Not much else was often heard of him, either, except a faint rumor that he often traveled to see Jigglypuff's performances, for reasons unknown.

Ness used a portal to go back to Onett, where he continued to train himself in the mental skills Mewtwo had taught him, never knowing when they might again be needed.

…

The Ice Climbers, after making sure Reeka's old laboratory on Mountain #32 was torn down, returned to their abode in Freezy Cavern, and sought to find remains of the Topi Bear the evil scientist had created.

…

Samus took off in her ship into space, for she had been called on another mission shortly after the war was over. The other bounty hunters did likewise, their presence spreading out across the galaxy.

…

Captain Falcon's ship followed shortly after, in precisely the same direction as Samus's.

…

Mr. Game & Watch continued to live in Mushroom Kingdom II, but he, along with Mario, went off every once in a while in search of his metal clone, which he was sure was still out there.

…

Fox and Falco sped away to the Lylat System with the rest of Team Star Fox, wondering if and when the day would come when the great heroes from Nintendo's outskirts would need to gather once more.

…

Professor E. Gadd continued to make wise decisions regarding the world's recovery, and often relied on the Original 25 to accomplish the most important tasks, and to help make the most important decisions. He began a project to disconnect the Battlefields and the Room from the mainland altogether.

When Mario and Game & Watch sought advice on how to hunt down their murderous clones, he asked what they knew about them. Mario told about how in the last moment, Metal Mario had suddenly disregarded his loyalty to Master Hand, shoved everyone else off the tower, and disappeared. Both him and Mr. Game & Watch agreed that they also had a tendency to focus on nothing other than their original selves when in sight.

The professor told them, then, that unless they were extremely lucky (or unlucky, in Pikachu's case), all they could do is continue their searches and be prepared for when the day came that they met again. Gadd explained that even after studying the bodies of several of these things, it was still unclear just how intelligent they were…

…

Marth and Roy reigned justly over their land, and once in a while challenged the Hylians to a sword-fighting tournament to keep up relationships.

…

The _real _master Biggoron craftsman graciously agreed to repair the bent Master Sword, but insisted that before he could do so, he still needed his special eye drops.

…

Sonic and his friends, before leaving on the _Banana Boat_ to other worlds, held a special funeral for Shadow. Sonic spoke of how he'd always known of the good within his friend, and how even at the darkest of times, times of betrayal, he'd always believed Shadow would come through on the right side in the end. In a way, he really had been the Ultimate Life Form, granted amazing powers and faced with unthinkable temptation, but able to overcome it for the sake of his companions.

…

Other groups left as well once it was clear things would work out. Taj and the other residents of Timber Island eventually departed, as well as the various supporters from the Great Sea.

…

The orange sky of dusk stretched across the skies of Hyrule, the saturated light reflecting off the rolling plains. Grass swayed gently in the breeze along with daisies and other wild flowers. Hyrule Castle rose in the distance to the north—Death Mountain to the south, the ocean to the east, and Kokiri Forest to the west. A slight red haze indicating the Gerudo Desert shimmered in the light in the northwest. The Zora River gurgled almost magically, shining prismatically in areas and blurring the rocks beneath the water.

Link stood beside Zelda near the river, the two of them looking out upon their beautiful land. Young Link shuffled impatiently on Link's left, but to an extent, he, too, could appreciate the glorious place they had to live in.

"We've done it, Link," the princess said dreamily. "We've restored peace to not just the land of Hyrule, but all the lands around us. Darkness has been placed long at bay, and surely for at least the rest of our lifetimes, this is something we will have to enjoy."

The grown Hero of Time nodded, turning to face Zelda. "Yes. But I'm sure Ganondorf is not at all happy after you suddenly called upon the Six Sages to seal him back in the Dark Realm." Young Link giggled at that with a smirk.

"You know we could never trust him enough to keep him around," Zelda defended. "It had to be done, despite his brief spurt of heroism."  
Link laughed, too. "I know." Then, slowly, hesitantly, he brought an arm around the princess's shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"You know we can never be that way, Link," Zelda said, rigid in his embrace.

Now, Link's expression had gone serious. His eyes glistened sincerely and inquisitively. "But…why not?" He loosened his arm, prepared to remove it in reluctant acceptance.

"Because…" Zelda hesitated for a long, strange moment. "…well. You know, I'm not exactly sure…" Then, the absurdity at her assumption dawning upon her, she moved her face fluidly toward Link's.

"Ugh!" Young Link backed away from the two, shielding his eyes dramatically. But then, he couldn't help separating two of his fingers to peek, and then removing his hand altogether, staring with interest at the two interlocked figures. He grinned, eying Zelda over and over again. "Wow. I can't _wait_ to grow up!"

At those words, Link broke temporarily away, turning his head to grin back at Young Link. "Yeah, I'm sure you will be so excited in seven years…when you'll have to go through _everything_ all over again!"

Young Link's grin vanished into terror as he realized what his older self's words implied. "Crap!" He dashed away toward the castle on his swift ten-year-old legs.

"Really, Link?" Zelda asked as they gazed into each other's eyes. "He'll have to live through Master Hand's invasion twice?"

Link grinned. "No, of course not. Our lives are placed upon two separate paths, in two separate Hyrules. I just thought he deserved it after breaking my sword."

_**THE END**_

…

**Epilogue**

One full year after the Smashers' triumph over their greatest enemy, to the day, the Original 25 were called back together, to the southwestern coast of the Unknown Land. Something, apparently, had been spotted in the distance across the sea, and on a sparsely-clouded day with a light blue sky, twenty-three heroes gathered at the very edge of the beach to see what it was. They found themselves alone, for Professor E. Gadd had for some reason decided that they alone were meant to meet the approaching speck on the horizon.

And so they gathered, not a single noise besides the gentle crashing of the waves. Almost self-consciously, they grouped alongside one another in a peculiar fashion, awaiting whatever the future held for them on that speck.

And, soon enough, the speck became clearer, and each of the Smashers reacted in their own way in response to the sight before them.

To the far left of the group, Princess Peach raised a hand slightly over the front of her dress, unsure of what this outlook meant.

Above her, Mr. Game & Watch leapt into the air, ringing his bell wildly.

To Peach's right, Link stood erect, hands loose fists at his sides, his eyes fixed on the object warily.

Between the princess and Link, the evolved Pichu, Pikachu, smiled ecstatically. His ears were laid back, his jagged tail standing up straight, his legs bent in a playful stance.

Beside the Pokemon on the right, Kirby looked just as excited, just as adventurous, his soft eyes gazing innocently forward.

Behind and to the right of Kirby, Young Link had a hand on his hip, feet positioned firmly. He stared at the growing speck after drinking a few mouthfuls of Lon Lon Milk.

Standing behind the Kokiri boy, Samus faced it, just as mystified, turned slightly sideways with her arm cannon in front, her expression indecipherable behind her green visor.

Hovering higher behind the bounty hunter was Mewtwo, also turned sideways. His arms were folded, and his tail was raised in a curve of awareness. The legendary Pokemon's purple eyes were fixed intently on the scene, a million or more thoughts buzzing in his capacious mind.

Reclining beside Kirby in a childlike fashion, Ness placed his elbow on the sand and tilted his head against his hand, his eyes full of wonder.

Mario adjusted his red cap behind the PSI-potent boy, looking prepared for another adventure already.

Standing two feet taller behind Mario was Princess Zelda, turned to the side and gripping one arm with her other hand, viewing the fateful thing cautiously.

Bowser towered behind her and to her right, his teeth bared in a strange smile and fiery orange eyes burning intensely into the shape across the sea.

Captain Falcon posed not far in front of the beast, seemingly oblivious to the giant Koopa inches behind him. One arm was curled before him in a challenging gesture.

The Ice Climbers took to the front before the F-Zero pilot, Nana leaning toward her brother, both with joyful sparkles in their eyes, and smiles on their faces.

Fox McCloud leaned forward beside the siblings, his gaze fixed on it with alert anticipation.

Close to Fox was Yoshi, leaning even farther forward, amazement written on his kind face.

Marth and Roy stood side by side at the end of the group, both with swords raised in a gesture that seemed to resemble both respect and a warning. The sun blazed off the blades, their capes waving slowly behind them.

Jigglypuff puffed up above the swordsmen's heads to see, her big eyes shimmering with awe.

To the puffball's left, Donkey Kong pounded his chest, generating the only noise besides the waves with his mighty bellow.

Falco leapt off of the ape's right shoulder, aligning his figure with the sun's glare, but seeming unaffected by it. His knee was raised, one blue wing raised across his body, and his head tilted up. It looked like a sort of noble salute.

Finally, whizzing across the peaceful sky above them all, Luigi pushed himself headfirst through the air as the Green Missile, his eyes closed without worry, leaving a trail of white smoke in his wake, somehow signifying the importance of this event.

And, as the green blur passed by, something remarkable, something that cannot be explained, happened among the Smashers at that moment. Three more figures appeared, whether they were mirages, imagined apparitions, or something else. Startlingly close to Zelda, the dark king Ganondorf faded mystically into view, his eyes also fixed appraisingly on the sight in front of them, one arm crossed over his chest in a powerful symbol of acknowledgement.

Behind Kirby, Dr. Mario had a hand on his chin, inspecting the sight curiously.

Pichu materialized onto Bowser's head like he had always used to position himself, surveying the scene as if he were a watchman on a tower, possibly more excited than anyone else. This was bizarre since the Pikachu nearby was once that very Pichu. Bowser never could recall whether he had felt anything.

But as the Original 25, somehow complete as Fate meant for them to be, watched the speck grow into a recognizable shape, bobbing up and down in the waves, a sort of glory overtook them all, as if this were a moment so special that they would never forget it no matter what happened in the future.

It was a raft, made of simple wooden planks and a round wooden post for the sail; there were distant silhouettes upon it, but they were too indistinct to identify. And the billowing white sail had a symbol emblazed upon it, shining brightly against the canvas.

A circle, with an off-centered cross cutting through it. Shining with every color of the rainbow, just like the Smash Ball had. The raft bobbed gently yet purposefully toward the coast of the Nintendo World, as if guided by some unseen hand.

h t t p : / / w w w . n i k o n u . n e t / i m a g e s / r a n d o m / s b m % 2 0 1 . j p g

...

In a world far, far away, a hand reached up out of a puddle of unusually fluid mud, and pulled its host up and out. The short figure stood up, not only covered and dripping with the multicolored goop, but appearing almost as if it was made of it. It adjusted a pair of diamond-framed glasses, and looked away into the dark, star-lit sky.

_"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…."_

…

_No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other._

_~Matthew 6:24_


End file.
